Struck By Lightning
by Vontar
Summary: Pure blue. The first thing Percy noticed about the girl that came out of the tree was how bright, brilliant, and blue her eyes were. They cut through him like electricity through water. In that moment, he knew that something had irrevocably changed in his destiny. Fate had a plan for Percy Jackson, and Thalia Grace just became a part of it.
1. Introductions

Percy enjoyed the feeling of the warm summer breeze on his face as he walked up a hill. Back in the Camp proper, most of the Campers were having fun with food and friends after the successful acquisition of the Golden Fleece and the recovery of Thalia's Tree. He had too, but after a while, it had become too much for him. He looked down at the thought. They had gone through a lot, and there were very real dangers that they had faced. Close brushes with death that left Percy uncomfortable for both his friends and himself.

Still, it was a successful quest. That was worth celebrating. He smiled again as he looked down at the bustling Camp. It was gratifying enough to him that it was still safe, and that the people he had become friends with were still protected.

Percy came close to Thalia's Tree, and he nodded contently when he saw its green leaves and felt its strong aura. The Golden Fleece had done its job – the tree was being healed of the poison that had seeped so deeply in it, and the barriers that protected the Camp were as strong as they ever were. It was good to see.

Then Percy noticed a pair of legs, just hidden from him by the tree. Concerned, the demigod strode forward, turning around the tree as he saw the pair of legs extend to the body of a girl. She looked to be sleeping at the base of the tree, but there were a few branches that had grown over her, and she was not someone that Percy recognized as a camper.

By the time Percy ran over and knelt by her, she had just began stirring from her sleep. When her eyes flickered open, he felt his breath being sucked away as the brightest, most electrifying pair of blue eyes stared back. They seemed to pierce straight through him like lasers, even though they were flickering around in disorientation. After ripping away the branches that covered her, he cradled her head in his lap as she coughed slightly and struggled, but failed, to get up.

"Hey, hey," he gently said, keeping her as steady as possible, "relax. You're safe." She ceased her struggling, though Percy couldn't tell if it was from his words or her fatigue.

"Wh-where am I?" she spluttered out, breathing heavily.

Percy paused. How did this girl not know where she was? She was _inside_ the barrier of the Camp, and she was sleeping at the base of Thalia's Tree.

"You're at Camp Half-Blood. See?" Percy gestured to the faintly visible outline of the semi-spherical shield that protected the camp. "You're safe."

"Who are you?" she asked, continuing her line of questions. Percy paused slightly, quickly deciding on how much he should tell her at that moment. He had no idea who she was, and after what had happened with Luke, he was wary of trusting so openly again. Still, against his paranoid side, he spoke.

"My name is Percy Jackson. I'm a son of Poseidon."

Her blue eyes widened at the second sentence, and she stared deeply into Percy's sea-green orbs. Having finally stopped shaking, she blinked a couple of times before whispering her own name.

"I'm Thalia. Daughter of Zeus."

* * *

After getting over the shock of meeting Thalia as a human and not a tree, Percy carried her over to the Big House. Chiron had a similar shock, and even though Mr. D acted as indifferently as he always did, Percy swore that he could see a bit of surprise in the wine god's eyes. After getting her settled in to a cabin – the empty Zeus cabin – Thalia was quickly introduced to Camp life, and Percy, Annabeth, and Chiron did their best, as did all of the campers, to integrate her into Camp Half-Blood.

Percy hadn't ever meant for Thalia to be a rival for him, but her fiercely competitive nature made it almost inevitable. Given that and the fact that they were both children of the Big Three – and ones fairly close in age, being only one year apart after factoring in the whole "stuck in a tree" business – she quickly viewed the first person she had met in nearly seven years as her chief rival.

Still, despite a hotly contested rivalry in the various needed skills and knowledge that demigods required, the two formed an even fiercer friendship. Perhaps it was because they were both children of the Big Three and their fates and destinies were irrevocably tied together, courtesy of the Great Prophecy. Maybe it simply because Thalia felt some sort of connection to the first person who comforted her after her prolonged near-death state. Either way, Percy felt himself trusting his newest friend more with each passing day, and there were certainly days where, as he confided his fears, worries, and hopes with her, she did much the same, pouring back an equal amount of herself into him as he did into her.

Today was one of those days. It was still only the beginning of summer, but Percy already felt the inexorable weight of fear on his shoulders. One of his best friends, Annabeth, was gone, even possibly dead, but Percy resolved to believe she had not yet departed from this plane. She couldn't have – she was too strong for her to just end like that. He would just have to find her.

Slowly walking through the forest, he exited into a small clearing surrounded by thick bushes and trees. There was a small pond of clear water in the middle, and Percy took a few seconds to admire the beauty of the small alcove he had just found.

Then he heard a breath intake beside him.

Turning his head, he saw Thalia, of all people, sitting on a nearby rock, staring at him with those blue eyes that were indelibly burned into Percy's mind. Her short and spiky hair was slightly damp, as were her bare feet. A towel, her favorite combat boots, a pair of black socks, and her leather jacket lay on a nearby stone. Having evidently forgone her usual black jeans, she wore a pair of short shorts and a non-descript black t-shirt. Percy felt his breath hitch as he stared at her form. He could not deny that he found her attractive; how could he? As even Apollo himself put it, she was _pretty_ , and the fact that he was in the middle of puberty didn't help out on that front much either.

Percy forced himself to stop staring, walking up to his friend as he examined the small clearing they found themselves in. All the while, Thalia's eyes never left his form once, even as he came to a stop by the rock she was sitting on.

"Fancy meeting you here," she spoke up first, her gaze still not leaving him.

"Uh, yeah," Percy replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I just sorta stumbled on this place. Same for you?" Thalia shook her head, a few droplets of water flying away from her hair at the motion.

"I found this place a couple of days ago. It's … a nice place. Relaxing. The water isn't too cold either."

The two paused in a silence, neither knowing exactly what to say. Thalia looked back at her reflection in the water as Percy looked downwards. The trials of the week had been harsh, and both had ended up losing their close friend.

"I'm sure she's alright, you know," Thalia spoke up again. Percy turned his head to look at Thalia. "She's a strong fighter, and smart too. She wouldn't go out that easily. I bet Luke's," she winced slightly as she said her friend's – _former friend's_ – name, "having a blast with her. I can only imagine her tearing him apart."

Percy chuckled at the thought of an enraged Annabeth turning up the rhetorical dial to eleven and going to town on the former camp counselor. Like Thalia, however, his expression darkened at the thought of Luke. While he had only known him for a few months, he had really thought Luke was someone he could trust, and Percy still felt pain from the son of Hermes' betrayal.

"Do you," Percy started, and Thalia leaned in slightly closer. "Do you ever fear the future? I mean," he added, seeing a slightly curious expression on his friend's face, "you're the one the Prophecy is about. That's a lot of responsibility, and there's a lot of things out there that want a piece of you because of that."

Thalia's lips pursed at the thought, before shrugging.

"Life's life. Just gotta roll with it, because sometimes there isn't another way." She sighed.

"How do you do it? You're so in control all of the time."

Thalia chuckled, a sound that Percy found rather pleasing to listen to. "Really? I've always thought that you were the stronger one – you've known about this since you were twelve, and yet, you're still here. You haven't quit. Me? I-I don't know if I could've handled it. If someone compared the two of us, they'd probably think you were the Prophecy's Chosen One."

Percy looked straight into Thalia's eyes, marveling for the umpteenth time at the beauty that he beheld.

"Thalia, you are the strongest person I know. You proved it when you defended Annabeth and Grover on the top of the Hill, and you continue to do so every time we meet a problem." Thalia looked shocked by Percy's words.

Slowly, her mouth turned upwards into a smile; it wasn't one of those "wide and forced red carpet celebrity" smiles, but rather a beaming smile that reflected genuine heartfelt emotion. It only served to enhance Thalia's natural countenance, and where she normally was pretty to Percy, now she was absolutely beautiful. Her radiant smile was something that he would not mind seeing again.

"Well," she said after a few seconds, "I should get going." She slung her towel and jacket over a shoulder, put the socks into the boots, and lifted the boots with a finger and a thumb. She took a few steps towards the edge of the clearing before pausing and half-turning around.

"See ya later at CTF. Better bring your 'A' game." She flashed a flirty grin at Percy and made a finger gun with her free hand before she continued walking away. Soon enough, her form disappeared behind the dense foliage of the forest.

Percy stood by the rock that Thalia had just vacated, standing as still as his geological companion. His heart pounded in his chest, and his cheeks were flushed red. Why had it felt so thrilling to talk with her? And why had it felt so … good?

* * *

Revised: 1-22-18


	2. Apologies

The blue team's flag weakly fluttered in the breeze, still standing, as it was, on Zeus's Fist.

Still, it was moving more than Percy was. Some game of capture the flag this was.

Percy threw another rock against a tree, his third in a single minute. Beside him, Nico, Beckendorf, and the Stoll brothers looked varying shades of bored, just as he did. Thalia, his co-captain – though, in reality, she acted more like she was the only captain, having sidelined him as she did – was off somewhere in the forest with the main force, trying to track down where the Hunters had placed their flag. Elsewhere, Silena's smaller scout force was also in the forest, running interference for Thalia's group and trying to throw the Hunters off of Percy's defensive squad.

A rustle came from the forest to their left. All five heads snapped to it immediately. Through the clearing of the woods, Percy could see a glimpse of Silena and her two scouts running through the forest as they were being chased by the Hunters. Five, by his count.

Percy felt a little smile creep onto his face. That meant that Thalia's plan was working. They were drawing the Hunters' attention and splitting their forces. His smile dropped as he noticed another group of Hunters, a little way into the forest on their right, setting up a fortified position with bows at the ready. Not good.

But if five Hunters were chasing after Silena's group, and another group of Hunters were positioned to defend against Thalia, that meant… the flag itself was relatively undefended. Percy nodded to himself. There was a real opportunity here.

"Can you guys defend the flag?"

Beckendorf snorted as the Stolls nodded. "Yeah," came a chorus of voices.

"Stay here, Nico," Percy quickly said, rushing off toward the boundary line without waiting for a reply. Leaping over the creek that demarcated each group's territory, Percy felt the wave of adrenaline rush over him, invigorating his muscles and letting him run even faster. He could see it! A silvery, silky flag that waved in the breeze, and with only one guard!

The guard turned, hearing the sound of Percy's footsteps, but he crashed into her, causing her to yelp as she fell to the ground. Her hood fell off, revealing that it was Bianca.

"Sorry," Percy yelled behind him, grabbing the flag as he did so. Without sparing a glance back, he took off into the woods.

Behind him, he could hear Bianca yelling for help, but a grin still spread on his face. He was virtually homefre-

Percy tripped on a wire and found his face in the mud.

"Percy?" Thalia's voice floated beside him. "What are _you_ doing here?" Her voice took on a hint of incredulity.

An arrow whizzed past them, sticking itself into a nearby tree before bursting into a puff of yellow smoke. It covered Thalia and her group, causing a cacophony of coughs to emit from the nauseous cloud's area.

"No fair!" Thalia said from inside the smoke, coughing as she did so.

Ignoring the cries of his teammates, Percy gathered himself to his feet and grabbed the flag as he ran off again. The creek was right there! In the distance, he could see Beckendorf and Nico running toward him. He couldn't fathom why they had left the flag to greet him, but then he saw Zoë Nightshade, Lieutenant of Artemis and leader of the Hunters' team, weaving through campers like nobody's business while carrying _their_ flag.

"No!" Percy yelled, drawing his sword. A Hunter tried to stop him by swinging her dagger, but he parried and knocked her to the ground as he continued forward. He was only a mere two steps away from the creek when Zoë leaped over it. She slammed into Percy as she did so, knocking him to the ground and the Hunters' flag out of his hands.

The Hunters cheered as they and the campers gathered at the creek. Out of the woods, Chiron came out with the Stoll brothers on his back, both looking like they had taken a beating and one with a nice collection of arrows sticking out of his metal helmet.

"And the winners are the Hunters," Chiron announced, and then under his breath, "for the fifty-sixth time."

"Perseus Jackson!" Thalia roared, storming from the side to come face-to-face with Percy. She smelled of rotten eggs, but between that or the blue lightning flickering off of her and her Aegis shield, everyone else backed up because of the latter two reasons. Even Percy felt its foreboding aura, and he struggled to maintain his willpower and withstand it.

"What in the name of the gods were you thinking?" Thalia yelled. Percy balled up his fists, feeling himself become agitated as well.

"I saw an opening and I took it, Thalia!" He grabbed the Hunters' flag, which was soiled by the mud after falling out of Percy's grip. Closing the gap between them until their faces were inches apart, he yelled, "I got the flag!"

"I was already at their base! If you hadn't butted in, we would've won!"

"They were already ready for you!"

"So now this all my fault?"

"It's not like you would've made it."

"Agh!" Thalia yelled in frustration, pushing Percy as she did so. Her hands sparked and she blew him backwards into the creek. Around them, all of the campers had wide eyes, while some of the Hunters laughed.

"I'm sorry," Thalia gasped, her mouth agape. "I didn't mean to do that."

Percy slowly rose out of the water, feeling his heart rate double in raw anger even though he knew it was an accident. Summoning his powers, he pushed a deluge of water at the daughter of Zeus, drenching her from head to toe.

"Yeah," he spat, "I didn't mean that either."

Thalia stood there, breathing deeply in silence for a few seconds, before flicking some of her wet locks out of her face. Looking up at Percy, he could see her electric blue eyes dangerous flickering with lightning.

Chiron galloped forward, though still making sure to keep his distance from the two angry demigods. "Please, calm down, the both of you!"

They both ignored him.

"Do you want to go, Seaweed Brain?"

"Yeah, let's go, Pinecone Face!"

She raised her spear, which buzzed with electricity, just as Percy raised an arm and, accordingly, a column of water. Then Percy saw something past Thalia's shoulder that caused him to lose focus. Surprised, Thalia also lowered her own spear, turning to see what Percy was staring at before she gasped.

Hunters, campers, and Chiron alike all stared in shock as the Oracle of Delphi walked towards them, the mummy coming to a stop in front of Zoë.

In that moment, Percy knew whatever was coming next was going to be fundamentally important. For everything, and everyone.

* * *

 _Later_

Percy sighed, his fist inches away from knocking on the wooden cabin door – his pride stopped his fist from moving those few, precious inches. Sure, he knew that he was mostly in the wrong during that game of capture the flag. He probably shouldn't have thrown their joint plan out of whack by going after the flag so brazenly, but even so, it felt uncomfortable for him to be the first to apologize. Still, if he didn't do it now, he knew he would regret it. There was no guarantee that they would see each other again. Such was a demigod's life in a dangerous world.

His fist tilted back for the n-th time, and he closed his eyes as he slowly rapped his knuckles against the polished bronze of the door to Zeus's cabin, deeply breathing as he mentally tried to prepare exactly what he was going to say.

The door swung open naught two seconds after he knocked, and he was greeted by the sight of Thalia, toothbrush in hand, dressed in nothing more than her pajamas, which, in this case, consisted of a pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt. Percy gaped for a few moments before regaining his mental faculties, blushing slightly as he viewed his friend's state of relative undress. He cleared his throat to begin speaking, but before he could utter the first syllable of his hastily prepared apology, his friend raised a single finger.

"Wait," Thalia mumbled, still holding her toothbrush near her mouth, "lemme swish this out." She motioned, with her free hand, for Percy to step in, quickly closing the bronze door after him and speed-walking to the adjacent bathroom. Percy glanced around the spacious cabin, specifically eyeing the traveling bag that was nearly packed to the brim with the essential demigod traveling materials.

He could hear her gargle out her mouth with water before she came back out, wiping her mouth with a towel. Tossing that aside onto her couch, she placed both of her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at the son of Poseidon that was now standing in her de facto living room.

"So?" she questioned, her electric blue eyes staring straight at him.

"Well, uh," Percy began sheepishly, one hand instinctively going to scratch the back of his head as he withered under her intense look, "you know, about the game today…"

"I'm sorry," Percy finally said, deciding to cut to the punch of his apology rather than toeing around the topic. Thalia's eyebrow remained raised, but she shifted to cross her arms across her chest.

"I shouldn't gone against the plan like that, and I get that I'm the one that really started that fight, so I really wanted to say sorry before you left…" Percy trailed off, but his stricken, worried expression showed what Thalia knew he meant. _Just in case I never get the chance to say sorry to you again._

Thalia's own expression softened, and she let her arms hang limply by her sides. Percy fidgeted in place, unable to read Thalia's new, if kinder, look. He wasn't sure whether he had been too forward, or perhaps had been too insincere in making his apology…

Percy stiffened when he felt smooth skin touch his own body, but relaxed and loosened when he registered the slightly messy and still damp black hair that was right under his mouth and nose. He could feel her hands reaching across his back, finding places to stay and grip as Thalia tightened her embrace around him. He leaned forward into the hug and found himself wrapping his own arms around her, each of them savoring the others warmth as they provided what they both needed most from their friends: security. A consistency that could only reassure and wash away their respective fears.

"Thanks, Percy," Thalia whispered, her face still close to Percy's chest, even as she pulled back ever so slightly. "I want you to know that I'm sorry as well. I overreacted," she chuckled, "at what was supposed to be a 'friendly' game. I don't know why I let it get that far, but I want you to know that I'd never willingly attack you."

Percy listened to her words, slowly nodding his head as he leaned back himself to stare into Thalia's electric blue eyes.

This was how their friendship worked. A mutual understanding of boundaries, of things that they would never do to one another, and that they would never hurt one another. That they would always help one another, to provide security, physical and emotional, and to encourage each other in times of need. In one another, they could confide pain and fears and fully expect the other to understand.

As he stood there, he faintly noticed that Thalia was slightly shivering. Touching her bare arm's skin, he felt how cold she was, and realized that she wasn't wearing much to protect from a cool breeze.

"Uh," Percy began, backing away slightly but still holding on loosely, "you should probably get something to wear. Or, I guess, go to bed. It's a little chilly tonight." Thalia nodded, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Percy made his way towards the closed bronze door of the Zeus' Cabin. Before opening it, he turned around and looked at his soon-to-leave, and possibly best (though he didn't know why he felt closer to Thalia in the past few months than he did Annabeth in the last two years), friend, wistfully smiling at their quickly approaching separation.

"Stay safe." Two words, but that was all Thalia needed to understand that Percy cared deeply about her wellbeing.

"Will do, Seaweed Brain," she replied, but this time, there was no hostility in her tone. Rather, she looked playful as she repeated the elementary insult from earlier that night. And this time, Percy felt considerably better with her using the nickname.

"You know, I still don't like that nickname," Percy responded, opening the door. As he stepped out, he could hear Thalia's laughter ring out – a pleasant sound, Percy decided, and one that he wouldn't mind hearing more in the future. He quickly glanced backwards, making contact with those lightning eyes of hers one last time before gently closing the bronze door.

Stepping out into the night, it was only a little chilly, with the season still warm, but a light breeze blew through the air, ruffling Percy's naturally unruly dark hair. Looking up at the moon, he could only hope that some god out there was listening to him. He had already lost Annabeth this week. He couldn't bare another loss.

 _Keep her safe. I don't care what you need to do. Just keep Thalia safe._

* * *

 **A/N:** As far as divergences go, there are two major ones:

1\. Thalia has been de-aged somewhat here, about 2 years – she's only a few months older than Percy post-pine tree. Still means she's the Child of Prophecy, so that'll be fun to talk about… in another 2 years' worth of in-fiction time.

2\. This one is more or less shown (edit: now completely shown) in the intro, but Percy was the only person to see that Thalia had come out of the tree in this universe. That means that for a good half-hour or so, Percy is the only person she sees and interacts with as he carries her to the Big House/camp infirmary, so that changes Thalia's initial relationship with Percy (more trusting, etc.) compared to canon.

Revised: 3-15-18


	3. Comrades

Percy silently walked past the Big House, where he knew Thalia, Grover, Bianca, and the other members of the quest were preparing for their trip west. As he thought about it, he clenched his fists in anger. Annabeth was one of the people in danger, and it was his friends that were going into danger! He should've been going with them, rather than just sitting around the Camp, doing nothing.

Still, he did nothing as he walked past, resigning himself to being able to do nothing as his friends faced evil.

As he walked towards the cabins, he passed Artemis' cabin, where the Hunters were staying. As he looked at the ornately-designed but rarely-used lodge, he saw a rustle of movement in a nearby bush. His eyes narrowed as he saw Nico in the bush, before realizing why he was there in the first place. His sister, Bianca, was still fresh to this world, as was Nico himself, but she was already going on a dangerous quest. The boy had to have been scared for his sister. In that instant, Percy felt a kinship with the undeclared demigod.

Percy pulled a baseball cap – Annabeth's trusty invisibility cap – out of his pocket, donning it as he snuck closer to the cabin. Right outside it, near where Nico was hiding and eavesdropping, there were two Hunters that were talking.

"It is terrible that Phoebe has been incapacitated like this," one of the Hunters was saying. "Her hives are severe."

"Indeed. These campers are disgusting men for having done this to a sister. Lady Artemis would have told us never to trust them if she were here," the other replied.

With a start, Percy stepped backwards. They were down one person before they even started the quest? That meant his friends were in even more danger before the real danger had even come. Before long, the Hunters went back inside of the cabin, and Nico emerged from the bush, his face pale from the same conclusion Percy had arrived at.

Pulling off his cap, Percy strode toward the startled boy.

"And what do you think you were doing?" he asked Nico, who looked down at the ground.

"You heard them," Nico replied, his voice quiet and hesitant. "The quest's already down a Hunter, and they've only barely left Camp. How will Bianca be safe like this?"

Percy sighed as he placed both hands on the younger boy's shoulders. Nico looked up.

"Don't worry. I'll go after them. _I'll_ make sure Bianca and the others are safe. Just stay here at Camp, where it is safe."

Nico nodded. Percy went.

* * *

Apart from a terrifying and potentially catastrophic run-in with Dionysus himself, Percy and Blackjack's journey was fairly uneventful. They had tracked the van that the questers were using for hours.

" _Boss!_ " Blackjack mentally said. " _They've stopped_!" Percy looked down over the edge of the flying pegasus. He saw the van that the Camp had given Zoë for her quest pull into a parking space by none other than the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. He sighed, happy that they had finally stopped after hours of driving (or rather, for him, flying on the back of Blackjack).

"Take us down," Percy said. Horse and boy both descended gracefully, the Mist helping to obscure the most blatant parts of it. If anyone saw Percy coming down, they saw him in a much more mortal-friendly light. However, given the relatively early hour on a weekday, there weren't many tourists around. The two descended into the National Mall.

"Go ahead without me," Percy whispered to Blackjack. The pegasus looked at the demigod for a few moments before nodding, flapping its wings and flying away. Turning to the museum, Percy pondered what to do.

A flash of movement in the corner of his eye made him turn his head, and his eyes widened when he saw none other than Dr. Thorn, the manticore that had disappeared with Annabeth, walking in a group of armed men. They entered through a set of double-doors on the side of the Museum of Natural History on the opposite side of the Mall from the Air and Space Museum.

Percy quickly decided to follow the manticore and ran into the Museum of Natural History, ignoring the fact that the front desk was empty and that the metal detector was less reactive than a rock when he ran past. As he pulled on Annabeth's invisibility cap, he tried to judge where the doors the manticore had gone through would lead to, entering one of the auditoriums that seemed right.

The inside of the auditorium was filled with an assorted audience. There were a few dozen of a reptilian female monster that Percy had seen before. Scythian dracaenae. Additionally, there were a few mortal guards standing by, weapons ready.

The stage was where it got more interesting – and bitter.

The most prominent figure was none other than Luke Castellan himself. The traitor. Beside him was Dr. Thorn. But perhaps more importantly, there was another figure sitting, his face obscured by the darkness of the stage.

"They are here," Dr. Thorn said.

"I know that, you fool," the seated man bit out, his voice cold and as hard as steel. It was the sort of authoritative voice that would shake a soul and cause one to cower in fear. "But where?"

"In the rocket museum?"

"How many?" Luke asked. Thorn didn't respond.

"How many?" the General questioned.

"Four, General," Thorn said. "The satyr, the girl with spiky black hair and leather clothes."

"Thalia," Luke interjected.

"And two others – Hunters. One wears a silver circlet."

"That one I do know," the General murmured. "Now, my boy," he said, turning to Luke, "we must isolate this Thalia. The monster we seek will then come to her."

"The Hunters will not be easy to get rid of," Luke thought out loud. "The older one, Zoë Nightsh-"

"Do **not** utter that name in my presence," the General demanded. The other people in the auditorium cowered slightly. He raised a hand to silence any of Luke's apologies.

"Let me show you how we will deal with the Hunters. Do you have the teeth?" the General asked.

"Y-yes," one of the mortal guards shakily said, holding up a dozen large and pointy teeth in his arms.

The General rose to his feet, the ground cracking slightly under his steps. He took each of the teeth, and after one of the dracaenae brought out a pot of soil, planted them all.

"These mortals are fools. They had no idea what they had here," the General explained as he took a jug of liquid from another dracaena. "Dinosaur teeth – ha! These are not dinosaur teeth, but rather dragon teeth!" He watered – if that was the correct word to use for the dark red liquid that came out of the jug – the soil and stepped back.

"Rise!" he cried. A skeletal hand jumped out of the soil, and within seconds, a full skeleton had pulled itself out of the soil. Within a minute, twelve skeletons had climbed out, their bodies quickly forming a type of flesh that covered their skeletal forms. At first glance, they seemed like regular mortal soldiers complete with fatigues, but upon closer examination, their skin was a dullish grey, their eyes an unnatural yellow, and they were slightly transparent, as if a thick sort of jelly that could be seen through under the right light.

"Bring the scent," the General commanded. A dracaena rushed from the back of the auditorium, clutching a silvery, silky scarf in one hand. A weight dropped in Percy's stomach. It looked like a Hunter's scarf, and as the dracaena made her way closer to the stage, he pieced together what was going on. The scarf had the scent of Hunters on it, and as Hunters, both Zoë Nightshade and Bianca di Angelo would smell like Hunters. Then the skeletons would track and hunt them.

Percy barged forward, virtually tackling the dracaena into the seats of the auditorium as he snatched the scarf out of her hand.

"What is this?" the General boomed, shaking the room slightly.

"An intruder!" Dr. Thorn yelled, looking around.

"It has to be Percy Jackson!" Luke cried out.

"An intruder shrouded in darkness," the General growled, his eyes burning. "Seal the doors!"

Percy saw the mortal guards move to the exits of the auditorium and sprinted towards the nearest one. As he turned, he felt part of his sleeve be torn off. Looking back quickly, he saw one of the skeletons standing where he had been, a piece of fabric from his sleeve in its hands. It sniffed the fabric, before handing it to the other skeletons that had moved up to the first skeleton's location.

Without another glance, Percy barreled out of the auditorium, out of the Museum of Natural History, and across the National Mall.

He ran into the Air and Space Museum, dodging the admissions desk and taking off his cap once he was inside. Turning the corner, he ran straight into someone and fell over.

"Percy?" Thalia's voice floated over, and he opened his eyes to see his friend on the floor with him. Right behind where she had been walking, Grover, Zoë and Bianca were looking at Percy with no small amount of surprise.

"Guys, there's something I need to tell you all about now," Percy hurriedly said, before delving into an explanation of the myriad of events he had just witnessed.

* * *

Percy ignored the Zoë's, Bianca's, and Thalia's pointed glares, preferring to look at the non-judgmental sly grin that Grover had instead as he hurriedly explained what he had just seen.

"I swear, that's wha-" Percy cut off at the sound of a roar, and the group of five turned to face an approaching, towering monster. It somehow had fit itself in, and its gold fur gleamed under the lights of the National Air and Space Museum. Its growling fangs were shiny, like stainless steel, yet there was a small stream of saliva that dripped down its chin as it cruelly eyed each of the demigods (and satyr) with an intelligence that belied its barbaric animal form.

"The Nemean Lion," Zoë quietly gasped, instinctively pulling back her bow, already loaded, and firing. The arrow zipped through the air and landed straight in-between the two eyes of the Nemean Lion but crumpled on impact and fell off with no damage done to the monster's pristine gold fur. If anything, it seemed to be silently laughing at the Hunter's 'feeble' attempt to kill it.

"Split!" Thalia yelled, and each person ran off in a different direction, trying to give the group as a whole more opportunities to attack from each side while distracting the Nemean Lion's attention into multiple angles.

The tactic, while a valiant attempt to destroy the beast, was ineffective, as both Zoë and Bianca wasted arrows against the Lion that merely broke on its invulnerable pelt while Thalia, Percy, and Grover spent their time dodging the monster's swipes and lunges.

Falling backwards after narrowly missing a swipe from one of the Nemean Lion's deadly looking claws, Percy's head turned sideways, where he eyed the food court of the National Air and Space Museum. More importantly, he eyed a certain _food_ , though calling it that, even mentally, nearly made Percy gag. Looking around, he saw the tell-tale signs of the museum's bathrooms, and soon enough, a plan formed in his head.

Sliding on the floor of the museum, Percy stopped himself by Zoë, temporarily halting the Hunter's arrow-fire as he looked at her face-to-face.

"Can you throw?" Percy bluntly asked, ignoring the indignant look on the woman's face.

"Excuse me? Of course – every Hunter has only the greatest accura-" she cut off as Percy thrust an armload of silver wrapped packages into the Hunter's hands and ran off before she could spurt out a reply.

"Just throw when I say!" Percy yelled behind him, not caring enough to wait for or listen to a reply.

Reaching a nice median distance between being close to the Nemean Lion to have its attention and being far away enough to not be shish-kabobed by its claws, Percy took a deep breath and concentrated his powers, willing the hydrokinetic powers to do their fullest for him.

A slow mass of water washed over the floor the museum, moving ever closer to the Nemean Lion from its back. However, still being annoyed by the Hunters' constant, if ineffectual, arrows, the would-be ancient Greek Lion failed to notice the rapidly increasing collection of moisture behind it.

Thalia's eyes widened as she saw the water gathering just behind the Nemean Lion, and she quickly glanced backwards at Percy. Making eye contact, Percy nodded, and Thalia blinked once before nodding her own affirmative, realizing his plan as she saw, behind even Percy, the Hunter Zoë and her own payload of death.

"Now!" Percy yelled, just as the Nemean Lion itself roared out of frustration from not being able to smash any of the puny demigods in front of it. The silver packages shot like bullets from Zoë, who rapidly threw each after the other in a seemingly straight line. Each package, consisting only of the finest, high-quality _astronaut_ _food_ on the planet, landed nicely in the Nemean Lion's open and roaring mouth. It stopped as it felt the sudden weight in its mouth, and in the worst decision it had made since the turn of the millennium, it decided to tilt its head back and swallow. Upon doing so, the Nemean Lion's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as they widened, and it yelled – no, screamed – in pain and confusion at the treasonous pain that threatened its stomach.

Percy could almost sympathize, but as a general life rule, he had already decided that it was better to a demigod's longevity to always go for the kill, so he instantly willed the water, which had been gathering as close as the Lion's feet, upwards, encompassing each square inch of the outside of the monster's fur and even going inside of the Lion's open mouth.

Thalia, already clued in to the three-step plan that Percy had crafted on the fly, grunted as she launched one of the strongest electric arcs she could at the drenched Nemean Lion. The electricity arced all around it, its movement aided by the conductive water that lead the electricity to every nook and cranny of the monster's body that the wily liquid had found. Eventually, the electricity arced into the Nemean Lion's mouth, consuming it from the inside out, and without the protection of its invulnerable fur pelt on its inside, the monster dissolved, leaving behind only its gold fur pelt as a trophy to its killer.

Thalia walked up to the garment, eyeing it as she picked it up. For a moment, it seemed as if she would sling it around herself, but instead she turned around and reached out to Percy.

"I think this should be yours," Thalia said, still breathing heavily after the exertion of such a powerful attack. "You did the most today, and I don't think we would've won against it had you not come." Percy's eyes widened at the fur pelt she was basically handing him. He began to raise his arms to deny it, but Thalia stepped in closer, nearly putting the pelt – and herself – into her arms. They came close, and he could feel her heavy breath on his face as they neared each other…

"The Nemean Lion's pelt is the trophy of heroes," Zoë's voice came from the back. Percy turned around, and Thalia took the chance to leave the pelt in his outstretched arms before backing away. Momentarily wincing at the loss of warmth from his friend, he turned to fully face the approaching Hunter.

"I- I don't want it." Percy turned back to Thalia. "Do you, I don't know, what to share it, or something?" Thalia smiled in humor at the thought.

"I really don't think fur is my style."

Zoë cut in again. "This is your kill, Perseus, regardless of what we did. It was your plan that ultimately took down the Nemean Lion when we could not. This," she gestured at the pelt, "is rightfully yours."

"Right," Percy whispered under his own breath. "Well," he said, speaking up, "I guess I'll just offer it to my dad later."

Zoë looked shocked at the proclamation. It was, after all, the _Nemean Lion's pelt_. It wasn't exactly a trophy of triumph one came across every day.

"But, why?" Zoë blurted out, curious.

"Because I'm not Hercules. I'm not going to follow in his footsteps." Zoë looked even more shocked at Percy's words, and said nothing as the son of Poseidon threw the pelt into his pack. Thalia looked mightily impressed by Percy's words, nodding in approval at her friend while he just shyly grinned in response.

Their tranquility was broken when a shot rang out, and Percy turned to see sickly-gray security guards, who flickered between being barely human to being a skeleton courtesy of the Mist, running towards them. Each member of the Party retreated through the doors of the National Air and Space Museum, and as they ran, Percy looked back to make sure everyone had made it out alive.

His eyes connected with Thalia, who was at the back of the pack. She was occasionally flinging back an electric arc or two to slow or destroy the monsters chasing them, but she too was running her hardest to get out of there. Their eyes connected, and she nodded.

Percy immediately got the idea, bursting a nearby water hydrant and drenching their nearest pursuers with water. He turned before seeing Thalia shoot another lightning attack, but he could already imagine it anyway.

They were in tune enough to coordinate at that level in battle. That was just how it was. Water and lightning. They really shouldn't have mixed, and as parents and science teachers everywhere could attest to telling children as advice, it was a largely forbidden venture to mix such things together.

But like their combination attacks, they were stronger as one.

* * *

Revised: 4-15-18, 5-21-18


	4. Companions

The chase was rather harrowing. The skeleton-warrior-things didn't let up on their tail for hours, and it took some misdirection (and demigod powers) to throw them off of the group's tail. By the time they had escaped the skeletons, the sun was near setting, and their van was nearly out of gas.

Luckily, Percy had bumped into a beggar – that may or may not have been Apollo in disguise – that directed them to a nice train carrying plenty of nice cars.

* * *

The train chugged away into the night, the sound of the metal on rails becoming rhythmic and normal to Percy as he stared out of the Lamborghini's windshield. Beside him, one of his best friends, Grover, snored loudly, his goat legs perched on the leather dashboard as he lay under the cover of his jacket. Percy himself had put on the Nemean Lion's pelt – which had conveniently transformed into a brown duster, courtesy of the Mist – when the temperature dropped during the night.

Quietly opening up the passenger door, Percy slid out of the obscenely expensive sports car, immediately feeling the chilly night air blow into his face at high speed. The would-be warmth of summer was nothing compared to the wind chill of a fast, moving train, and Percy felt happy that he had the duster with him, unconsciously pulling it closer as he carefully stepped towards a nearby car.

He rapped his knuckles a few times on the side window of the car, before hearing the tell-tale click of the door unlocking. Gratefully, he quickly opened up the passenger door and slid into the seat, closing it behind him to bask in the warmth of the car's heater.

Thalia stared at her friend, who, evidently, had decided to join her in the middle of the night. "Hi there," she finally said, staring at the son of Poseidon. Percy, having warmed up his fingers enough to feel the tips of them, turned around and smiled.

"Yo."

An awkward silence filled the air between them, only being broken by the sound of an alternative rock band that Thalia had found suitable enough to listen to.

"That was a close fight," Thalia spoke up, breaking the quietness.

Percy slowly nodded. "Yeah, that could've gone bad. The Nemean Lion was definitely not the monster the prophecy was talking about, though."

"Definitely not. We'll have to keep going to find this bane."

Silence befell them once more as they took in the thought, though this time, it was more companionable as they imagined what a 'bane of Olympus' could be.

"Well, whatever this mystery monster is," Percy began, "the General said it would come from you. They wanted to split up the group and keep you from the rest of us, so the monster could fight you one-on-one."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Wonderful. I love being bait."

Percy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "No idea what this monster could be?"

Thalia shook her head, a look of melancholy washing over her face. "Still, we've gotta go west. Artemis was heading to San Francisco for some reason, and I doubt it was for no reason."

"Wait, why?" Percy questioned, curious. "What's so bad about San Fran?"

"The Mist is thicker there than anywhere else in the U.S. because the Mountain of Despair is so close to it. Titan magic attracts monsters like you wouldn't believe."

"The Mountain of Despair? What's that?"

Thalia raised an eyebrow, an annoyed look replacing the melancholy. "You really don't know? Ask Zoë. She's the expert." She turned to glare out of the windshield at the passing shrubbery and wildlife, and Percy fell silent. He didn't like admitting that he wasn't knowledgeable about something, even to (or especially to) a close friend like Thalia, and her expression spoke of danger on the topic of the lieutenant of the Hunters.

Breathing in deeply, Percy leaned back into his chair, letting the music wash over him as he examined his friend. Dressed in her regular punk rocker aesthetic clothes, she looked about as far from the regal, almost royal and princess-looking Zoë as one could be. Personality-wise, it was no different; the Hunter was stoic and aloof, whereas Thalia was rebellious and passionate.

Still, for all of their differences, there was something that made them more similar than either would like to admit. Percy could see it on her face, even as she mixed annoyance and melancholy into a single expression. A determination, a toughness that both possessed in spades. It almost made Thalia seem like a Hunter of Artemis, ready to carry out the hunt.

"Wait."

Thalia turned, frowning as she looked at her friend with a confused look.

"That's why you don't like Zoë," Percy continued. "The Hunters tried to recruit you, right?"

Thalia's expression stiffened, and her electric blue eyes almost seemed to sizzle with electricity. For a second, Percy wondered if he had made a grievous miscalculation with his words, but Thalia's buzz seemed to die down as quickly as it had appeared, leaving her looking more tired and wary than angry.

She sighed. "I almost joined them," Thalia admitted. "We ran into them once, and Zoë tried to recruit me then. She almost convinced me, and I was on the very edge of joining the Hunters…"

"Why didn't you?" Percy asked. Thalia's lips pursed, and her fingers tightened around the leather of the Mercedes' steering wheel.

"I would've had to leave Luke."

Percy felt his heart tighten, for more than one reason, at the sound of his former compatriot's name. He wasn't sure whether he was angry at the fact that the bastard had betrayed Thalia's trust, or whether he was jealous that he used to have – and still had – such power over her…

"Oh." That was all Percy could say in light of the facts.

"Zoë and I got into a fight. She said I was stupid and that I would regret it. That Luke would let me down someday."

"That's harsh," Percy whispered. "Hard to admit that she was right." The words came out more scathingly than Percy had intended, but the effect on Thalia was evident. She whipped around, her eyes blazing with passion, almost red with sadness, as she faced her friend.

"No! She was wrong! Luke never let me down!" Thalia's force died down, and she breathed out deeply, falling into her seat as she did. Her eyes nearly brimmed with tears as she struggled to control her breathing.

"We'll have to fight him. There's no way around that."

A silence. This one stretched on for seconds upon seconds, each moment an eternity as the screech of the train remained constant.

"I know." Finally, it was an uncharacteristic whisper, hoarse and quiet, from Thalia.

Percy's throat went dry, his jealousy over Luke and Thalia's relationship dying as he examined his friend.

"I'm so sorry. Th-that it's come to this." Thalia looked toward Percy, whose own eyes were red. "If only I had stopped him. Or… or…" Percy's voice died, and he similarly slumped into his seat, unable to continue.

Percy stared at the soft fabric of the Mercedes' roof, not trusting himself to say anything, with his metaphorical dam of emotions barely holding together. He couldn't believe that Luke had such power over _him_ , but it made some twisted sense. He was charismatic and likable, and Percy had felt such a kinship to the older boy, much like how a younger brother would look up to a successful older brother.

An arm slipped around Percy's torso, and he shifted his head to see Thalia lean over the gap between their chairs to place her head on Percy's shoulder. He leaned a little back, allowing Thalia to move more freely and not strain as much to move over the space between them. The car didn't have a back row, so the space in between them was a solid piece of plastic that Thalia could rest against as she leaned towards Percy.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," she solemnly promised, her voice barely a whisper. "And we will cross that bridge."

"I'll be right there. With you." Percy replied, his voice no louder than hers. He felt her hand, the one that reached over his body, tighten as it gripped his far shoulder, and he could feel her warm breath wash over his exposed skin as she leaned into him.

Finally, her breath became more rhythmic, and Percy could tell that she had fallen asleep. It had been a grueling day, and he could not begrudge her the much-needed rest. With his free hand, he silently turned off the still-playing radio, before closing his own eyes. He slightly leaned towards Thalia, pushing them both towards the center of the car.

If anyone crossed the windshield of a specific black Mercedes SLK, they would find a pair of teenagers sleeping against one another, looking like any other couple in the world. The two would blush at such sentiments, but thankfully for a rather specific passing-by god, they were securely in Morpheus' domain.

Apollo sighed as he viewed the son of Poseidon and daughter of Zeus. They were closer to each other than any children of those two particular gods had any right to be. Not that he could begrudge them. From what he could see, their relationship was genuine and, more importantly, mutually strengthening – he was not against it. However, he could still see the potential mess that this would create, were it to reach Zeus' or Poseidon's ears.

 _A son of Poseidon and a daughter of Zeus_ , Apollo mused. It was obvious what their future was going to be like, even if they didn't see it themselves.

He expected great things from the two. Together.

* * *

Revised: 5-21-18 (minor edits)


	5. Futures

The chase had been long. Even after leaving the train and going ever further westwards, Percy found him and his companions continually hunted, followed all the way to New Mexico. While they could hold their own fairly well against the skeletal warriors that had pursued them across the United States, they could not dispel them – that is, bar Bianca's strange ability – leaving them endlessly fight until they, not the skeletons, dropped from exhaustion.

Their savior came from the wild. When they had finally been found by the General's minions at a small town in New Mexico, the Erymanthian Boar, a gift of mythological proportions, saved them, throwing away the skeletons and transporting them fast enough to get some good distance between the party of demigods and Hunters and the monsters that followed.

Where they ended up was a strange, oddly-lively town in the middle of the desert. If Percy had learned one thing over three years of being a demigod, strange meant bad. Or, at the very least, some powerful being was manipulating the situation.

His suspicions were confirmed when he found the tip of Ares' sword at his throat, said God of War grinning from the open back door of a limo that had pulled up out of nowhere in the middle of small, bustling yet deserted town.

"Not so fast now, huh punk," Ares grunted, smirking.

"Ares," Percy snarled. Around him, his companions readied their respective weapons, ready to fight even the God of War if they had to.

"At ease, peeps." Ares snapped his fingers and everyone's weapons slipped out of their hands like the hilts and grips had been covered in butter. "This is a friendly meeting."

He turned back around to face Percy, poking his blade into the demigod's throat just deep enough to draw the tiniest amount of blood, but not enough to do much more. "Of course, I'd like to take your head as a trophy, but the lady wants to talk to you, and it's best not to keep her waiting. Well, that, and it's not proper to behead enemies in front of a lady." Ares cruelly grinned at that.

"What lady?" Thalia said, scowling at the god.

"Oh, I don't think she wants to see the rest of you. Particularly them." He gestured to both Hunters. Turning back to Percy, Ares grabbed the son of Poseidon by the back of his collar. "Get inside punk," the god said, throwing Percy into the limo. "And mind your manners. She's not as forgiving as I am." With that, the door slammed closed.

Percy's jaw dropped the moment he saw her. Any words of protest died in his throat, leaving him utterly speechless with his eyes wide open.

The woman in front of him sat daintily in the soft leather seat, holding a small glass of champagne. She wore a deep red dress that accented her every curve to a degree even the world's finest supermodels could not match. Her face was absolutely beautiful, perfect in every way: just the right amount of makeup, gorgeous bright eyes, and a smile that could end wars.

The thing is, Percy had trouble focusing on her. Every time he honed in a certain aspect of her appearance, it shifted. Her eye color, her hair color or style, and more all constantly changed, yet meshed together to stay static. She was more beautiful than any human ever, but as Percy sat there, awed by the presence of the goddess of love, he felt an inkling of unease. _She_ was not human, and the unceasing perfection of her appearance brought an eeriness to her that made Percy want to fling open the limo door and run away.

Finally, she turned to fully face Percy, a wide and bright smile on her face. For a split-second, Percy swore that he could see Annabeth – gray eyes, blonde hair – but as soon as he saw her, the woman's hair shortened, turning a dark black even as her eyes turned into an electric blue. That form lingered for a few seconds, but like the others, it changed once more, shifting into another attractive look.

"Ah, there you are, Percy," the goddess spoke, her voice flowing like fine silk. "I am Aphrodite."

"Uh, ah."

She smiled. "Aren't you so adorable," Aphrodite whispered, her voice playful and childish. If Percy had been any more cognizant, he could've been mad, but as it was, the demigod could barely string together two words. She put down her glass of champagne. "Here, hold this."

The goddess handed Percy a plate-like mirror, and he took it without thought, holding it up as Aphrodite touched up her lipstick, fixing an unnoticeable issue.

"Do you know why you are here?" she suddenly said, putting the lipstick away and looking right at Percy.

Percy blinked a few times, squeezing his eyes shut to try and force his mind to work, before pinching himself.

"I… I don't know," Percy uttered, barely managing to speak.

"Oh dear, still in denial?" she crooned. Outside, Ares audibly laughed, and the thought that the god of war could hear everything inside made Percy angry. The anger cut through the fog in his mind like a hot knife through butter, focusing his thoughts like a laser beam.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Percy gritted out, acting more confident than he felt. He was, after all, sandwiched between two members of the Greek pantheon. If worst came to worst, it'd end quickly and decidedly not in Percy's favor.

"Well, why are you on this quest?" Aphrodite leaned back, crossing her legs and resting her head on one hand.

"Artemis has been captured!"

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Artemis. Such a hopeless case. You would think that if they were going to kidnap a goddess, she would at least be breathtakingly beautiful. I pity the poor dears who have to imprison _Artemis_ of all people. How drab!"

"But she was chasing a monster," Percy protested. "A really bad monster. We have to find it!"

Aphrodite gently prodded Percy with one manicured finger to hold the mirror higher – he had forgotten that it was even in his hands. She dabbed at her mascara to fix some nonexistent problem, sighing as she did so.

"Always some monster. But my dear Percy, that is why everyone else is on this quest. I'm more interested in you."

Percy's heart pounded as he finally understood what the goddess was trying to get at. He didn't want to answer – he didn't want to play this game with her – but one look from her drew the answer straight out of Percy's mind. "Annabeth's in trouble."

"Exactly!" Aphrodite smiled and clapped her hands. For a second, she once again had short black hair and electrifying blue eyes, but a blink later they had transformed into the blonde hair and gray eyes they were before.

"I have to help her..." Percy whispered. "I've been having these dreams-"

"Ah, you even dream about her! That's so cute!"

"No! I mean, that's not what I meant."

Aphrodite tsked and leaned closer in. "Percy, I'm on your side. I'm the only reason you're even here right now."

Percy stared at her. "What?"

"The poisoned T-shirt the Stolls gave Phoebe? Did you really think that was a coincidence? Sending Blackjack to find you and sneak you out of camp? These things don't just happen on their own, you know." Aphrodite leaned back again to inspect one of her red nails.

"You did all that?"

"Of course! I mean, really, how boring are these Hunters? Some monster to kill, blah, blah. Saving Artemis. Let her stay lost, I say. But a quest for true love-"

"Wait, I never said this was-"

"Oh dear, you don't need to say it. You know Annabeth was on the verge of joining the Hunters?"

"I'm not sure wha-"

"She was about to throw her life away. You can save her from that fate! It's so romantic! Now listen, Percy," Aphrodite leaned in again, like she was sharing some sort of secret with the increasingly-annoyed demigod. "The Hunters are you enemies. Let them handle this monster and Artemis mess. None of that is important. You just need to concentrate on finding and saving Annabeth."

"Do you know where she is?"

Aphrodite waved her hand in mild irritation. "No, no, I'll leave the details to you. But just know, it's been ages since we've had a good tragic love story."

Percy looked taken aback. "Woah, I've never said anything about love. And wait, tragic?"

"Love conquers all," Aphrodite solemnly said, her eyes slightly misting. "Look at Helen and Paris; did they let anything come between them?"

"Didn't they start the Trojan War and get thousands killed?"

Aphrodite waved her hand again, as if she were flinging away Percy's argument. "Pfft. That's not the point. Follow your heart."

"But… I don't know where it's going. My heart, I mean."

Aphrodite turned and beamed a full smile at me again, complete with stormy gray eyes and curly blonde hair. Yet, that image flickered, her hair once again shortening and darkening as her eyes brightened in color to a vibrant blue. Percy unconsciously flinched at the change, taking in her newfound appearance. Aphrodite frowned, her eyes narrowing, before she tensed up: her appearance changed back to the blonde and gray.

"Not knowing is half the fun," Aphrodite whispered, but her voice was now more tense and irritated than before. "Exquisitely painful, isn't it? Not being sure who loves you and who you love?" At this, she looked ready to spit at Percy, her eyes glaring even as they intensely flickered between the two distinct colors. "Oh, you kids! It's so cute I'm going to cry." She looked less about to cry and more about to scream.

"Please don't."

"Oh, and don't worry," she continued, her voice taking on a new, hard edge. "I'm not going to let this be easy for you. No, I have some wonderful surprises in store. Anguish. Indecision. Just you wait. Your future awaits you, and you'll have to choose."

She paused. "Oh, and be careful in my husband's territory. It can be very _dangerous_." She leaned back and turned away.

"Wait, why?" But instead of any forthcoming reply, the limo's door opened and Ares grabbed Percy's shoulder, pulling him out of the vehicle and back into the desert night. His audience with the goddess of love was over.

"You're lucky, punk," Ares snarled, pushing Percy away. "Be grateful."

"For what?"

"For us being so nice. If it were up to me-"

"So why haven't you killed me?" Percy snapped back. He realized that it was probably not a good idea to piss off the god of war, but Ares always had a direct line to igniting Percy's anger.

Ares snorted. "You're too hot to touch now, kid. Every god and goddess on Olympus is watching you. Plus, word on the street is that you're about to touch off the biggest war since the thirties, and I'm not willing to let that chance go. And even if those weren't factors, Aphrodite seems to think you're some kind of soap opera star. Killing you would make me look bad with her."

Percy clenched his fists. "Why wait? I beat you once. How's that ankle?"

Ares shook his head with a humorless grin on his face. "Not bad, punk. But you can't beat me at taunting. I'll start the fight when I'm ready, on my terms. Until then… get lost." He snapped his fingers and Percy fell to the ground, disoriented in a cloud of red dust. When the cloud finally settled, the limo was gone, as was the small town. Instead, the five companions found themselves in a junkyard that stretched as far as they could see.

"Ugh…" Percy groaned, lying on the ground.

"What did Aphrodite want with you?" Bianca asked, looking around for an exit to the mysterious (read: deadly) junkyard.

"Oh, um, I'm not sure," Percy lied, hiding most of the truth from his friends. "She said to be careful in her husband's junkyard."

Zoë frowned, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "The goddess of love would not make a trip all the way out _here_ ," she gestured around to emphasize her point, "just to say that. Be vigilant, Percy. Aphrodite has led many heroes astray."

"For once, I agree with Zoë," Thalia muttered. "You can't trust Aphrodite." She knelt down and extended a hand to the still-downed son of Poseidon.

Percy rolled over accept the helping hand when he froze. He stared straight at Thalia, at her eyes, her hair, her features, and taking it all in.

It was the same eyes, hair, and features that had fought for dominance on Aphrodite's appearance.

Percy squeezed his eyes shut, thinking hard about the implications. Aphrodite had shown him who he thought was beautiful; that meant a flicker of actresses here and there, and whatnot.

There were two dominant forms. Aphrodite had clearly preferred gray eyes and curly blonde hair – Annabeth's features, Percy realized with a chill. But they had conflicted with another set. And as Percy stared into Thalia's eyes, he realized that it was those same eyes that had nearly overpowered Aphrodite's intentions.

Yet, on Thalia, it was different. Aphrodite had looked perfect, too perfect in fact. It was eerie and alien, an appearance that looked as beautiful as it did inhuman. Thalia, on the other hand, was very human, and she was not perfect; still, to Percy, she was, if he were to now admit it, beautiful.

And it went deeper than that. As he had gotten to know her, he had only found a steadfast friend, a faithful ally, a constant companion, and a fierce fighter. All of those were things he valued highly, and all of those were qualities she possessed in spades. Her attractive appearance was equaled only by her power, bravery, and loyalty – things that went beyond skin-deep.

She was absolutely magnificent. If Percy had to make a judgement call, he would say that Thalia's beauty exceeded Aphrodite's, inside and out.

He stared into those electric blue eyes, barely able to contain this newfound torrent of emotion even as he accepted her waiting hand and was pulled to his feet.

He could not deny it.

The truth.

He was in love with Thalia Grace.

* * *

Aphrodite scowled as the limousine sped across the desert, moving faster than any mortal vehicle could hope to travel. Beside her, Ares snored in his sleep, like the pig he was. Still, he was more capable than her husband, so he had his use. She nursed her glass of champagne – her second since leaving the group of demigods – as she reflected on what had just happened.

That was not what she had expected. From all she had heard, Percy and Annabeth were basically a thing. Yet, that was clearly not the case. It had been many eons since she had felt such a lack of control over her own form. It was designed to subtly shift into whatever those around her thought of as attractive, but she could still force herself to keep a form. Except for then.

It scared her. Percy had little to no feelings for his blonde friend, even as much as she had prodded him into that direction. Instead, her form kept changing into Zeus' daughter's form, of all people. Infuriating! Ignoring the fact that Thalia Grace was hardly princess-like compared to Annabeth Chase, and that it would not be nearly as good a romance, this was potentially disastrous for the son of Poseidon. She could only imagine Zeus' reaction to such news, and she knew that all of Olympus would shake and rumble under the weight of such a revelation.

Aphrodite grinned, a cruel smirk that didn't suit her face or beauty.

Percy Jackson would know the pain of defying the destiny of love.

* * *

 **A/N: I think this is probably going to be the new standard length, or somewhere around this range. As this story progresses, I find it more necessary to flesh out the scenes, even if that means that I'm sometimes just rehashing canon. This one was somewhat like canon, though there are obvious changes and additions that make it distinctly different. There will be less timeskips between chapters until they are basically continuous from chapter to chapter, more like a regular story.**

 **Anyway, expect updates every Monday, 9:40 AM ET, and don't forget to review, follow, and favorite!**


	6. Dangers

The Junkyard of the Gods was a place not meant for man.

At least, that was Percy's impression of the ironically termed god-forsaken place.

To his right, Thalia and Zoë scoured the area and climbed on top of broken pieces of junk to try and find a way out. While the two still held a degree of animosity towards one another, they had evidently agreed to put aside their personal differences until they made it out of the potential death trap.

Bianca and Grover were to Percy's left. Every now and then, Grover would look up and sniff a few times, as if tracking a scent, before turning to a new direction and pushing towards some path. For her part, Bianca accompanied Grover, though she'd pick up a little something here and there and wonder at it, before tossing it back into the junk and moving on.

They had been virtually lost in the junkyard for hours. Percy, for his part, would've been utterly lost were it not for the abundant constellations in the unpolluted night sky. Still, the feeling of being stuck in an unknown and rather creepy place was frightening if he didn't have his fellow lost companions with him.

"Hey, look!" Bianca exclaimed. Percy, Thalia, and Zoë all turned around, weapons in hand for the worst. Instead, they saw the amateur Hunter holding up an ethereal bow, which glowed a tint of silver whenever the girl moved it around. "It even morphs like Percy's sword," she cheerily explained, shrinking the magical weapon down to a small ornamental hair pin in the shape of a crescent moon. It was, as Percy thought, a rather fitting weapon for Hunter of Artemis.

Zoë did not share this sentiment. "I am not sure if you should take this, Bianca," the lieutenant of Artemis slowly said, a sense of warning clear in her voice. "Whatever was left here was left for a reason." Bianca pouted a little, but eventually nodded her head in acquiescence and placed the small hair clip on a broken CRT monitor.

Suddenly, Grover burst from behind a pile of junk, scattering pieces of scrap metal and material onto the haphazardly cleared path. The satyr was panting, but he had a wide smile on his face as he looked at the bewildered demigods in front of him.

"Guys, I've found a way out."

Grover led to them through a winding path of trashed objects, rusty and broken metal contraptions piled high as far as the eye could see. Still, there was a clear way that Grover had carved out, and eventually, they burst out of a pile of debris that led to a long clear road flanked by walls of junk. At the end of the road, each of them could see the desert, free of any godly refuse.

Bianca whooped in joy, while Thalia smiled at the sight of freedom. Even Zoë, stoic as she was, cracked a small grin at the sight. Percy just sighed in relief. A few short minutes of walking later, and the five of them fell onto the familiar black asphalt of a U.S. highway, happy at their fortune.

Before any of them could move further, however, a thunderous rumbling roared behind them, and the party turned to face an imposing sight: a metal man, bronze in color and gigantic in stature, rose from the piles of metal, its gears straining and groaning as it extended itself to its full height.

The metal man's armor was warped and dirty-looking. Its face was deformed, a large dent in its left cheek and a lack of metal coverings on its right side giving the automaton's face an eerie grin. Every time it shifted slightly, which it did many times as it adjusted its balance, the figure's joints creaked and squeaked, hinting at how old the statue must've been.

"What is that?" Percy whispered, backing away slightly as everyone took a step backwards in sheer shock and awe.

"Talos," Zoë whispered, her voice losing its characteristic stillness in favor of a more human shakiness. "Someone took something," she accused, her voice hardening as she whipped around to face Percy. "Who took something?"

Percy backed away with his hands held up. "Not me. I'm a lot of things, but I'm no thief." Bianca, Thalia, and Grover stayed silent, but any opportunities for them to fess up to the crime was taken away as the towering defective Talos took a single step towards them, covering more than half of the distance while making the earth boom with the force of its step.

"Run!" Grover yelled, and the party split like they had against the Nemean Lion. Unfortunately, Talos was no Nemean Lion. Thalia had her shield out and ran down the highway, blocking the electric sparks that burst out of the broken power lines the giant swung its sword through. Zoë was firing arrow after arrow at weak points, like joints, of the mechanical monster, but to no avail – each broke harmlessly against its metal armor.

Percy narrowly dodged a falling power line before swinging behind a broken chariot for cover. He found Bianca already there, her bow out but no arrow notched. His eye's narrowed as he took in the girl's guilty expression.

"You took something, didn't you," Percy accused. "That bow, right?"

"No!" Bianca denied, but her voice quivered as she said it, terror coloring her response as the earth shook with each of Talos' steps.

"Just give it back! Throw it down!"

"I – I didn't take the bow! Besides, it doesn't matter anymore!"

Percy looked up. "Move!" he roared, and he dragged Bianca away with him as he scurried away from the chariot. A second later, the giant's foot crushed it, flattening where the two had been hiding just prior. Percy tried to drag her further away, but Bianca was still, her eyes tearing up as she stood frozen in the middle of the highway.

Her hand reached into a pocket and pulled out a small figurine, a metal statue of a god, while her other hand pulled out the small hair clip. Bianca's voice trembled. "I … I got this for Nico. It was the only statue he didn't have. I thought that since I took it, the hair clip wouldn't be much more."

Percy looked incredulous. "How can you think of Mythomagic at a time like this?" the son of Poseidon spoke slowly, his voice low and tone accusing. "How can you think of taking anything from there?" He pointed at the junkyard to emphasize his words.

The inexperienced Hunter was crying at Percy's words.

"Throw it down," Percy advised again, easing his tone. "Maybe it'll stop chasing us." Bianca dropped both items reluctantly, but nothing changed. The giant still was chasing after Grover, who was narrowly avoiding many of the wide sword swings of the defective Talos unit. Finally, the giant stabbed downwards at a pile of junk, throwing Grover away with the force of its thrust and covering the satyr with debris.

Zoë moved in to distract the metal monstrosity, but her arrows were still ineffective, and with a swing of the giant's other arm, Zoë was sent flying back into the junkyard, landing behind mounds of trash and beyond Percy's, Bianca's, and Thalia's sight.

When Grover was sent flying, Thalia also moved in, yelling at the sight of her friend being thrown to the ground. She pointed her spear at the giant, sending a blue arc of electricity flying out at the monster. It hit the Talos unit on its right knee, sending that leg buckling, but after a few moments, it reoriented and stood back up, albeit slower and more shakily compared to before.

As the giant raised a foot to stomp down again, Percy eyed a small vent, a manhole of sorts, that was exposed on the bottom, with the label 'FOR MAINTENANCE ONLY' on the side. A spark of inspiration went off in the son of Poseidon's head.

"I've got a crazy idea."

Bianca nervously looked at her companion. "Go for it." Percy explained the maintenance hatch.

"There's gotta be some way to destroy from the inside, where it's more exposed. I'm going to get inside."

"How? You'll get crushed!"

"I just have to time it right. You need to distract it." Nearby, Thalia rolled out of the way of another sword swing, this one cutting through a mound of junk and sending debris flying into the air.

Bianca clenched her jaw. "No, I'll go."

Percy spun around to look at her. "What? No, you're new! You'll die!"

"It's my fault that the monster is after us," she whispered. "It's my responsibility. Here." She handed Percy the small Mythomagic figurine. "If anything happens, give this to Nico. Tell him… tell him that I'm sorry."

Percy forced the small statue back into her hand, closing her fist around it. "Tell him yourself. Distract Talos." He turned to face the highway.

"Thalia!" The girl looked up as her name was called. Bianca's arrows flew overhead, and each, while not as accurate as Zoë's were, still annoyed the metallic contraption, which turned away from the daughter of Zeus and toward the remaining Hunter. Bianca paled and backed up, still firing arrows, as the giant slowly and ominously made its way toward her.

Meanwhile, Percy raced over to Thalia. "I've got a plan. There's an open maintenance hatch underneath its right foot, and-" He was cut off by Thalia's nodding and raised hand.

"I get in and wreck its insides with lightning, right?" Percy nodded.

"I would do it, but there's not much, if any, water to draw from here."

Thalia sighed, and eyed the monster. "Just make sure it raises its foot." She ran over and positioned herself near the foot of the giant, making sure not to get stepped on. Percy also ran up to the Talos unit, and seeing that Thalia was already in position and ready, he pulled out Riptide and slashed downwards onto the other foot of the automaton.

Talos immediately looked down and raised its foot to crush Percy, who turned and jumped to dodge. The foot still came down right beside him, and the force of the impact sent him flying. When Percy rolled over, coughed, and opened his eyes again, he saw the imposing form of the underside of the giant's foot above him.

' _I hope Thalia got in_ ' was all that went through the boy's mind as he felt imminent doom come upon him. However, the giant suddenly wavered, and it tripped backwards, its foot completely missing the downed demigod. Percy got up and stared at the sight of Grover frantically playing his pipes. Each time he did, a power line flew off and struck the defective unit.

Likely, the power lines were more annoying than they were harmful, and as the giant made its way toward Grover, the satyr tried to run. Unfortunately, he was exhausted from the magical exertion he had just put himself through by playing his pipes, and he fell to the ground after two steps, not moving even as the ground around him rumbled with each of Talos' steps.

"Grover!" Percy yelled, futilely running towards his downed friend even as he knew that he wouldn't make it in time. It seemed imminent that the defective monster would step on the tired satyr.

Suddenly, the Talos unit stopped, and it oddly jerked its arm and head, contorting itself into poses more akin to those seen in a game of Twister rather than any that was suitable for the field of battle. This continued as the metallic monster stumbled between the junkyard and the highway, sending pieces of metal and scrap flying everywhere as it jerkily moved. It seemed unable to coordinate itself.

"Thalia," Percy whispered, realizing that his friend must've made it into the monster.

As if on cue, flashes of blue lightning burst out of the gaps in the monster's armor. While Thalia was inside and had some measure of control over the movements of the automaton, the Talos unit seemed desperate to keep control of itself, resorting to slamming its hands against its own torso in an attempt to wipe out whatever was controlling it from its chest.

Percy and Bianca raced over to Grover, collecting the satyr as they followed the stumbling monster down the highway.

"Wait, how will she get out?" Bianca worriedly asked. Percy's eyes widened as he realized that he had never thought of that.

Down the highway, the Talos unit still walked, its joints and torso smoking from fried machinery and broken servos. Still, it held a measure of control over its own body, fighting with the commands it was getting from Thalia inside. The Talos unit hit itself in the head, causing it to fall across the highway into a row of power lines.

"Watch out!" Percy fruitlessly yelled, unable to change the course of the falling monster. The Talos unit's legs snagged on the power lines, and blue arcs of electricity coursed through the monster's highly conductive metal body, short-circuiting everything inside as the giant shook from the electricity running through it. It was stumbled back up and fell back into the junkyard, but its body was already falling apart. An arm embedded itself into the ground as its knees buckled and fully crumbled. Its head finally rolled off as pieces of armor unbuckled themselves and clanged to the ground with loud echoes, and the entire contraption fell to the ground, broken beyond even Hephaestus' ability to repair.

"Thalia!" Percy yelled, rushing towards the downed monster with Bianca and the just-awoken Grover on his heels. Percy looked hopelessly at the scattered parts, many of them still smoking.

 _No_ …

 _Please_ …

 _Thalia_.

Percy fell to the ground, his face buried in his hands. Bianca and Grover raced up to him, similar somber expressions on their faces as they took in the sight.

The sun was just beginning to rise in the distance, but in Percy's heart, it may have well been the dark side of the moon.

Grover kneeled beside his friend. Bianca sat on a nearby cylindrical piece of metal, her lips tight.

A cough echoed out from the torso of the Talos unit. Percy's head snapped up instantly, as did Grover's and Bianca's. The son of Poseidon sprinted to the top of the monster, and drawing Riptide, he slashed downwards, carving a hole through the tough metal of the monster. Finally, he cut through, and the piece of metal fell.

Thalia stared back. She sported a nasty cut on her forehead, but was otherwise fine, and with the assistance of Percy and Grover, she was pulled out of the destroyed control center of the automaton.

"Whew, that was a close one," she exclaimed, dusting off her jeans and popping her knuckles.

"H-how?" Percy stuttered, both astonished and ecstatic at the miraculous survival of his friend.

"Meh, electricity is one of my powers, Seaweed Brain," Thalia amusedly answered, playfully prodding my shoulder. "I was more hurt when it fell. Bashed my head pretty good."

As if on cue, Grover pulled out his pipes and played a little. The healing magic sealed up Thalia's wound, but left Grover even more exhausted, to the point where he fell backwards as if his bones had been removed. He was caught by Bianca and laid down.

"Zoë," Bianca suddenly said. Percy and Thalia looked at each other.

"It's light now," Percy said. "We'll find her." Thalia nodded.

From the ground, Grover coughed. "No, we won't," he said miserably. "It's happened just as it should."

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked.

Grover looked up at his friend, tiredness and sadness evident in his eyes. "The prophecy. _One shall be lost in the land without rain_."

Percy gulped. The satyr was right. They were in a land without rain.

And they had just lost the lieutenant of Artemis.

Bianca sat down on the ground as she her eyes teared.

"I'll go find some transportation," Thalia spoke up, uncomfortable with the situation. Percy quickly jumped up.

"I'll go with you. Grover," Percy said, looking at his tired friend, "stay behind with Bianca. We'll be back soon." The satyr was too tired to mutter more than a 'sure' as the two demigods left.

The two strolled through the winding hills of debris, searching high and low for a vehicle that had preferably four wheels and an engine. Silence pervaded the space between them as they walked.

"I'm really glad that you're fine," Percy remarked, breaking the silence.

Thalia nodded. "Me too. That was way closer than I wanted to be to the Underworld."

The silence returned.

"Look," Percy spoke up again. "I wasn't completely truthful with you guys about Aphrodite." Thalia looked interested, half-turning with an eyebrow raised at Percy's statement.

"How so?"

Percy blushed. "Well, she… she gave me some advice."

Thalia looked amused. "You say advice, like the _romance_ kind of advice?"

"Yeah. She kept talking about it, and it was… really confusing."

"Really?"

"She kept talking about Annabeth."

Thalia full-stopped, turning around to face her friend. Percy couldn't read her impassive expression.

"What about Annabeth?" the daughter of Zeus asked, her voice even and clear.

Percy sighed. "She continually compared Annabeth to a princess in need or whatever, and made the Paris and Helen comparison. It was really awkward."

Thalia blinked at the explanation. "So… how did you feel at that?" she slowly asked.

Percy chuckled a little. "It's weird to think about. Annabeth's like a sister. We fight, laugh, and have fun together, but I don't really think about, you know, _kissing_ her or anything. I love her – just not in that way."

He looked away, missing Thalia's split-second relieved expression, and when he turned back, Thalia's face reverted to a regular smile.

"Well," she started slowly, "Aphrodite has been known to lead men astray. It would not be out of character for her to create or imagine a romance where none existed before." Percy looked relieved at her words.

"Really? That's good to know." Thalia nodded, and she turned to continue walking. Percy followed closely behind. Eventually, the pair stumbled upon an ancient tow truck, but at the very least, it ran, so the two hopped in, Thalia at the wheel, and they slowly navigated their way back to the other two in silence.

Percy was absolutely relieved – and livid – that what he had been having doubts about was just Aphrodite's mindgames.

Thalia was absolutely relieved – and happy – but she couldn't explain why.

Nonetheless, as the two drove back towards Bianca and Grover, the rising sun on their backs, each turned to the other with smiles on their faces, before facing forwards.

Towards the future. Where they could only hope happiness awaited.

* * *

Aphrodite lounged in her palace, pulling grapes off their vines and popping them into her mouth as she watched the events of the mortal world unfolding with an almost lazy glance.

In particular, one event. Or rather, one pair of people.

Percy Jackson and Thalia Grace. The son of Poseidon and the daughter of Zeus.

A grape burst in her grip as she thought about them. Annoyed, she snapped her fingers, cleaning the remains of the grape from her hands and furniture.

They were _not_ meant to be. This was not how it was supposed to go. Perseus Jackson was supposed to be with Annabeth Chase, where he would be kept down-to-earth, kept humanized by the domineering force of will that was that particular daughter of Athena.

Now, instead, he was with Thalia Grace. Like Annabeth Chase, she was a pure force of nature, but instead of controlling, she was complementing, and instead of canceling out the storm, she enhanced its strength.

This was a storm that Aphrodite was afraid of. This was a storm that had the potential to engulf Olympus, and it came at a time when the Titans were making their latest resurgence. The potential for the gods to be overthrown during this period of turmoil was too high, and Aphrodite would not allow this to happen.

Deep down, however, she knew that there was another reason. She had ordained that Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase were to be in love. Instead, she found her will subverted by the actions of the rebellious daughter of Zeus.

"Such a _punk_ ," Aphrodite muttered, tapping her lip with one finely manicured finger. It was absolutely insufferable that her will could be ignored in such a way, and by such a lowly figure.

This was more than the future of Olympus. This was even more than a point of professional pride.

This was a point of personal pride for Aphrodite, and she would never allow her pride to be harmed.

Thalia Grace would fall before that. And then all would be right in the cosmos.

Aphrodite would only do her best to see this through. Her pride would allow only that.


	7. Waters

The drive was relatively silent. Grover was still nursing his wounds and Bianca curled into a small ball in the back seat as she mourned the loss of her mentor. She hadn't known Zoë for all that long, but the lieutenant of the Hunt had already begun to feel like an older sister to the demigod, and the young Hunter felt lost without her superior watching over her.

Up front, the truck was still rather quiet. Thalia focused on the road, her hands keeping on the nine-and-three grip and her eyes focused forwards. She hadn't been too terribly affected by what had happened to Zoë, but she was still felt the shock of losing a comrade. The pain of losing an ally in battle was always terrible, regardless of her personal feelings toward said ally.

Percy leaned back into his chair, feeling each of the cramps and pains in his back ease as he relaxed for the first time in many days. Since getting off the train, they had been chased across the United States, and only while driving westwards in a dilapidated truck, he finally felt as if he could let himself unwind.

"Do you have any idea where to go?" Percy whispered, looking at the girl driving the truck. Thalia briefly turned to look at her front passenger before returning her eyes to the road.

"I think our best bet is to try to get on the highway and stay on it for as long as can. It's probably the fastest way to go west."

Percy silently nodded his head, focusing his eyes at the seemingly never-ending road that stretched out before them. The American West was truly massive, and for the weary and tired demigods, there was no end in sight.

Sighing, he rubbed his head. "How are you feeling, Thalia?" His voice was forlorn, dejected and almost devoid of strength. It wasn't exactly an indication of Percy's conviction, but rather of his emotional and mental state – frazzled and distressed after the multiple high-tension events he had gone through in quick succession.

The girl in question blinked in surprise as she took in her friend's tone. It was unlike anything she was used to from the son of Poseidon, who had so often represented a bastion of determination against all odds. From what he had heard from Annabeth, Percy was stubborn to the point of death – the brink was not enough to scare him, as proven by his previous victories in the prior summers before her 'rebirth'.

"I'm– I'm alright, I think. What do you mean?"

Percy vaguely gestured in the air even though he knew she wouldn't see it. "I mean, the whole Zoë thing and this quest. It's gone pretty badly so far, I think…"

Thalia let out a long breath, her shoulders shaking with the loss of tension.

"I'm not sure. I mean," she paused briefly, to look back at her passengers – Bianca was now curled into her seat, her eyes closed and her breathing soft and rhythmic, while Grover openly snored, albeit quietly – before continuing, "Zoë and I never really got along, but… she was a comrade-in-arms. An ally. And even though I didn't feel much in connection with her, I felt like she was a, I don't know, a constant. I didn't think she would fall there, of all places. She didn't deserve that – she deserved better than that."

Silence reigned once more, the two front-seat occupants of the truck quiet as they contemplated those words and their collective situation. Percy found himself agreeing with much of what Thalia had said; like her, he didn't really find much to connect with the older Hunter, but regardless of what he personally felt toward Zoë, she was still someone that had fought beside him and had been willing to give everything in the course of this quest.

And she had. Percy was not willing to dishonor her after she had valiantly fought with them. Neither was Thalia. Thus, they collectively, if silently, agreed to honor her memory with what good they had to say.

"What," Thalia suddenly spoke, causing Percy to blink and straighten up, "do you think Aphrodite was trying to play at? Showing up with Ares and talking to you? It's all very strange, and I can't say I've heard of this happening before, in myths or in life."

"I'm really not sure," Percy slowly replied, processing through that particular meeting. In hindsight, it only grew stranger. Was he really so important to warrant the goddess of love, and, by extension, the god of war to travel out to the middle of nowhere? This was, while not perhaps out-of-character, a stunning level of commitment for two Olympians.

"What I do know," Percy growled, his voice darkening as he thought about the specifics of Aphrodite's words, "is that I'm not happy about what she tried to pull. Trying to influence my emotions… I don't like that."

Thalia nodded, agreeing with the sentiment. No one wanted their feelings messed with, especially not by the goddess of love herself. It was a level of intrusion that was simply not acceptable.

Percy fell silent, and turned to look at his companion. He took in her features, the ones that he had seen so clearly on Aphrodite's face. Even as she drove, she carried an intense determination that carried into everything she did – a reason for her excellence. He felt his own cheeks flush.

"Thalia, I…" he trailed off. Thalia turned to look at him, an almost familiar expectant look on her.

"I–" Percy never got to finish his sentence, as the front left tire of the old truck blew, forcing the daughter of Zeus to grip tightly on the wheel as she slammed on the breaks. The truck skidded to a stop some yards away from the road, and they came to a stop facing a river canyon.

"Damn," Thalia muttered, quickly exiting the truck to check on the wheel. Percy sighed and leaned back into his seat, still flushed red.

Neither person saw their two backseat passengers each crack open an eye. Neither had been sleeping.

* * *

"Well, looks like this truck's toast," Thalia reported, leaning on the front driver door. "We don't have a spare. Just as well, because we were just about outta gas as well."

Grover stretched out his legs, stomping on the ground as he peered over the edge of the cliff.

"It looks like there's a path we can go down here," the satyr pointed. It was a narrow, rocky path, and one that looked like a person would have about a fifty-fifty chance of making safely. The drop onto a rocky – or watery and rocky – surface was rather far.

Percy glanced at Thalia. The daughter of Zeus had paled at the sight of the path. Remembering that she had a distinct fear of heights, Percy turned around to face his nature-loving friend.

"That's a goat path."

"So?"

"We're not all goats here."

Grover looked miffed at the sentiment, eyeing the path once more. "I think we can-"

He was cut off by Percy reiterating his point. "I think we should find a better place somewhere more upstream. A little walk won't hurt us." Percy looked at Thalia, whose eyes sent a silent 'thank you' to the son of Poseidon.

Returning the sentiment with a small nod and smile, Percy strode off upstream, quickly followed by Bianca and Thalia. Grover simply sighed and gave a small chuckle before heading off after his friends, having clearly lost the vote.

He eyed his two friends as they walked beside one another. They were close to one another, yet still far enough to where their hands didn't _quite_ brush against one another as they swung.

It was to be an interesting journey, Grover concluded. He simply continued walking, enjoying the nature around them and listening to the talk and banter of those in front of him with amusement.

* * *

The walk didn't take as long as they would've expected. About a half a mile walk later, Percy found a small path – one more suitable for humans – that took them to a small, closed canoe rental shack by the river. After realizing that none of them had any mortal currency on them, or at least not enough to actually matter, Percy left a stack of golden drachmas before breaking in and taking two canoes.

"Is this actually going to work?" Bianca worriedly asked, eyeing the rapid currents with a look of fear.

"I can control it," Percy said confidently. "I think."

Each canoe was fit for two, so Percy slid into one with Grover right behind, while Thalia took the front of the other with Bianca sitting behind. Both canoes slipped into the river, and before Percy could actually summon his powers, two naiads popped out.

"Uh, hey?" Percy asked, not sure how to proceed. The two naiads simply giggled in response.

"Look, we're going upstream, so-" he cut off as each naiad went behind a canoe and pushed it, accelerating much faster than they could've done with just paddles.

Having nothing to do other than just sit, Percy and Grover admired the sights. Finally, Grover coughed and tapped on Percy's shoulder, causing the demigod to turn around. The satyr had a knowing look on his face.

"So," he began, his voice slow, "Thalia?"

Percy felt his throat constrict a little. "Yeah, what about her?"

Grover chuckled. "Come on, Perce, I know. It's pretty obvious, honestly."

Percy closed his eyes. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. You wear your emotions on your sleeve. Not that it's a bad thing," Grover clarified, "but it means that you're easy to read sometimes."

Percy was silent at this.

"Look, if you need some advice, I can help."

"What advice?"

Grover sighed, leaning back in the canoe. "You just gotta go for it, man. You can't keep waiting forever. It's not a stable situation. If you really feel that much for her, you have to do _something_. Do something and make your peace with it. Only then will you feel content."

Percy looked taken aback. "Woah. That's… actually some pretty solid advice, G-man. Thanks."

The satyr in question looked mock-offended. "What, you think I got a girlfriend through luck? I've been around this place a few times, dude." They both laughed at the false-indignant tone.

To the boys' canoe's right and some distance behind, Thalia and Bianca sat in their own canoe, relaxing as they were powered by a naiad through the water.

"So… what's going on between you and Percy?" Bianca suddenly asked. Thalia, who had been taking a swig of water, promptly spat it out, her eyes wide as she quickly closed the lid on her bottle.

"What?!" Thalia nearly yelled, turning around. "I mean, nothing. There's nothing. We're just friends."

Bianca looked shocked at Thalia's response, but slowly smiled as she realized that it merely reinforced her assumptions.

"Well, looks like there are some pretty strong feelings there. Sure 'bout that?"

Thalia deflated, her energetic reply falling apart as she realized that she was only confirming for Bianca what the other girl had already thought. And, ultimately, what she herself knew to be true.

"Look," Bianca continued, softening her voice as she reached out and took the older girl's hand, "you should do something about it. Obviously, Percy's got feelings for you. You need to either confirm them or deny them. Don't leave him hanging here."

Thalia stared at the water rippling across their canoe. "You really think he likes me? In a romantic way?"

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that he was on the verge of saying so before the tire blew."

Thalia closed her eyes at this, processing all the information she had just taken in. It wasn't as if any of it were new to her, if she were to be truly honest with herself, but it was one thing to think about it, and a whole other thing to talk about it out loud.

"I see," Thalia spoke softly, and turned back around.

The two canoes pulled closer to one another, until they both came to a full stop. Percy stared at the reason they stopped, imposing as it was.

"The Hoover Dam," Thalia whispered. "It's huge."

"Seven hundred feet tall. Built in the 1930s." Percy.

"Five million cubic acres of water." Thalia.

"Largest construction project in the United States." Grover.

Bianca looked at her three friends with a confused look. "How do you guys know all that?"

"Annabeth. She liked architecture." Percy.

"She was nuts about monuments." Thalia.

"Sprouted facts all the time." Grover.

The three simultaneously sighed, before getting out of the canoes, Bianca following close behind. The naiads had pushed them to the riverbank before disappearing, so Percy assumed that they weren't willing to try and face the Hoover Dam.

Finding a small path, the four climbed back up to surface level. Along the way, Grover continually sniffed the air, as if sensing imminent danger.

"How close?" Percy whispered.

"I'm not sure," Grover admitted. "Maybe not close. Maybe close. Our scent is spread thinly now, but I can smell something from multiple directions. I don't like it."

Percy agreed. They had only two days until the winter solstice, and hundreds of miles left to traverse. It was going to be close. Then again, it always was. The life of a demigod, indeed.

"There's a snack bar in the visitor center," Thalia spoke up, as if she knew that everyone was at least somewhat hungry. She pointed in the general direction of the front entrance of the dam.

"You've been here before?" Percy asked.

"Once," she replied. "To see the guardians." She pointed to two big bronze statues. They looked like Oscars statuettes with wings.

"They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built," she continued. "A gift from Athena."

Tourists were huddled around the statues, and many rubbed the toes of them as moved by.

"Why are they rubbing the toes of those statues?" Percy asked, curious.

Thalia shrugged. "Good luck, I guess. They know something is special about them, even if they don't know the truth."

The group moved closer to the Hoover Dam's entrance, looking around like they were any other group of tourists there. Suddenly, Percy heard a 'mooing' sound – one he had heard before.

"You guys go on ahead, I'm gonna check something out," Percy distractedly said, before turning and jogging towards the north edge of the dam. Grover shrugged and nodded, and he and Bianca continued on. Thalia looked conflicted, and after quickly telling Grover and Bianca to go on without her as well, she ran after Percy.

Thalia caught up after Percy stopped running. He was staring off the edge and into the lake some thirty feet below, where there was a large fish-cow-serpent mixture swimming below, mooing.

"What are you doing here?" Percy asked, not seeing Thalia.

"Moo!"

"Percy!" Thalia yelled, getting her friend's attention. "What are you doing?"

Percy looked confused for a second, before understanding. "Oh, Thalia, this is Bessie. I met her around Long Island."

"Bessie? Long Island? What?" Thalia was even more confused.

"Moo!" Bessie mooed again, more urgently, before disappearing.

Percy stopped, hesitating. Something was wrong.

He turned to see two men walk towards him. Both were wearing gray camouflage. Their faces flickered and turned skeletal. Past them, a black van swerved up, and more skeleton soldiers in gray camo jumped out, weapons at the ready.

Beside him, Thalia tensed up, pulling out her shield. Percy pulled out Riptide.

They were surrounded. They had a fight on their hands.

There was no better team to fight them than a son of Poseidon and a daughter of Zeus.


	8. Escapes

Percy sliced through one skeleton. Thalia stabbed another, breaking it into pieces.

Still, more came towards them. And the ones they had destroyed reassembled themselves with speed. The two demigods were getting slowly overwhelmed by the sheer weight of numbers the monsters had on their side.

"We should run," Thalia grunted, deflecting a heavy baton blow from a skeleton with her shield.

"Yeah," Percy agreed. Disengaging from combat, both turned and sprinted down a set of stairs, blowing right past the security entrance and setting off the metal detector. Behind them, a security guard yelled, "hey!", but they ignored it as they barreled right into a nearly-full elevator just as it closed.

The tourists in the tour group looked annoyed at the two winded teens who had pushed and bumped them in their hasty entrance, but the tour guide was unperturbed and still droned on in a neutral voice about the history of the Hoover Dam and random fun facts.

"We will be going down seven hundred feet. Do not worry, ladies and gentlemen, this elevator hardly ever breaks." To Percy, that'd normally be rather _not_ reassuring, but given the situation he and Thalia were in, he ignored it.

"Does this go to the snack bar?" Percy asked. Thalia looked at her friend incredulously, her expression being the non-verbal equivalent of " _are you serious?_ ". Some of the other tourists chuckled, while many likely did a mental facepalm.

The tour guide turned to look at Percy. "We are going to the turbines, young man. Were you not listening to my presentation upstairs?"

"Is there another way out of the dam?" Thalia asked, cutting off any potential reply from the son of Poseidon.

"For heaven's sake," a tourist in the back of the elevator huffed. "It's a dead end. The only way out is the other elevator."

Before anyone else could say anything, the elevator dinged and the doors opened, leading to a flood of tourists pouring out of the elevator. Percy and Thalia went along with the flow, not being able to do much else.

"Go right ahead, folks," the tour guide continued. "There will be another ranger waiting for you at the end of the hall."

Percy and Thalia were left alone by the still-open elevator as the rest of the tour group walked away, both unsure exactly where to go or what to do. The sound of someone clearing their throat caused both demigods to turn around.

The tour guide had pulled off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of gray, stormy eyes. She looked at Thalia.

"There is always a way out for those clever enough to find it." Looking at both of them, Percy felt the intensity of the tour guide's gaze as it fell upon him. "And usually, there is more than one way out."

She looked over them both. "I expect… very much from the two of you."

The elevator doors slid shut, leaving Percy and Thalia alone, the whine of turbines a distant but constant sound. Both of them stared blankly at the closed silver and reflective elevator doors.

"What… was that?" Thalia breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. Percy shook his head, unsure of what had just happened.

A ding down the hall snapped both of them out of their respective reveries. As the second elevator's doors opened, the clatter of skeleton chatter echoed throughout the corridor. Without a second thought, Percy grabbed Thalia's arm and ran, dragging her along before she came to the same conclusion a split-second later and began running herself. After going down the hall and through a rocky tunnel, the pair came to a balcony that overlooked the turbines and warehouses. The tour group from earlier was there, as was another tour guide.

The two acted as casually as they could around the group, maneuvering themselves to the other side of the balcony, which led to another small hallway, while facing the tunnel they had come from. Thalia's shield was collapsed into its bracelet form, but she had her can of Mace at the ready, while Percy clenched onto his pen-form Riptide.

A sharp, rattling sound – like that of the skeleton's chattering mouths – echoed behind them. With a startled flinch, Percy uncapped his pen and swung his blade right through the person behind him.

The girl yelped, dropping her Kleenex as she jumped in shock and fright.

"Oh my god!" she shouted. "Do you kill everyone who tries to blow their nose?"

Percy blinked and alternated his gaze between the girl in front of him and his sword. Thalia looked similarly confused before a look of understanding passed over her expression.

"You're mortal!" Percy exclaimed.

The girl blinked. "Well, yeah?! What's that supposed to mean? How'd you get that sword past security?"

"I didn- wait, you can see it's a sword?" At this, Thalia put a hand on Percy's shoulder as she leaned in and whispered.

"She can see through the Mist, Percy."

Percy _ah-ed_ as he understood.

"What's your name?" he asked the girl, putting away his sword while he did.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Now, are you going to answer my questions or should I scream for security?"

Thalia raised an eyebrow and her can of Mace. Percy instantly got her drift and widened his eyes, putting one hand on her arm to stop his friend from knocking the girl out.

"No, don't do that," Percy quickly said to Rachel, putting himself in between the two girls. "We're kind of in a hurry. We're in trouble."

"Wait, are you guys in a hurry or in trouble?"

"Uh, both, sort of."

Rachel huffed a little and rolled her head incredulously. Suddenly, her line of sight went past Percy's shoulder and her eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Bathroom!" she whisper-yelled.

"What?" Percy and Thalia both echoed each other.

"Bathroom! Behind me! Now!"

The two demigods quickly followed the mortal's instructions, both slipping into the men's restroom and closing the door behind them.

"What's going on?" Percy frantically whispered. Thalia shushed him and planted her ear against the wooden door. Percy did the same. They waited for a few seconds, where the only sounds were Rachel's breathing and her feet shuffling. There was a moment of silence.

Then the chattering of bones. Percy instinctively tensed up at the sound of bones clacking, the sharp, rattling sound that he mistaken a nose being blown for. If he let himself relax, let his mind wander and his senses become less attuned, he could hear human voices, courtesy of the Mist, from the skeletons that he knew were on the other side of the door.

He stiffened again. He and Thalia had just left a mortal girl alone against ancient Greek monsters while they cowered behind a door. Percy fought the urge to rip open the door and start slashing, and he breathed as deeply – and quietly – as he could to calm himself down.

"Oh my god!" Rachel started yapping at machine-gun-fire-esque speed. "About time! Did you see the kid with the sword? He tried to kill me! How did you guys let a maniac like that in here?! He ran towards the turbines."

Percy could imagine her pointing down the hall with a frantic expression on her face. He could hear the skeletons excitedly chattering, their voices sounding less human again and more like the harsh scraping of bones against one another. They scampered off, presumably excited at the thought of catching their elusive prey. A few seconds passed as the sound of their footsteps, which alternated between the sound of heavy boots on the tile floor and bones clicking against the ground, faded into the distance.

Rachel slowly opened the door, her face pale and expression stunned with a hint of fear. Both Percy and Thalia slowly walked out, checking the angles as they exited the bathroom. The way to the elevator was clear.

"S-skeletons?" she asked, her voice slightly shaky.

"Do yourself a favor," Percy replied, slowly nodding his head, "and just forget about all of this. About us and them." He gestured down the hallway the skeletons had just run through.

"Wait, who are you guys?"

Percy sighed – Rachel was rather persistent.

"Percy. This is Thalia." Thalia glared at her friend, but didn't say anything.

"Okay…" Rachel breathed deeply again.

"We'll get going," Percy said, waving at the girl. "Just forget about this. It'll be easier for you." Without waiting for a response, he and Thalia both ran over to the elevator, not daring to breathe until the doors closed and the lift started moving upwards.

Percy collapsed onto the floor of the elevator, trying to catch his breath. Thalia was doing much the same as she leaned against one metal wall of the elevator. As his breathing slowed back to a more regular pace, Percy looked up at his friend. Thalia's forehead glistened with a faint hint of sweat, partly from exertion and partly from fear. Her hair, which was short anyway, was messy from all the running they had done to avoid the skeletons, and her cheeks were flushed red as she tried to control her breathing.

She was hot. To Percy, in more ways than one. Then he mentally slapped himself. They were _running for their lives_ , and here he was acting like a hormonal teenager who had a crush on a girl in the same class. It was hardly the time to be pining romantically over his best friend.

"Why'd you tell her our names?" Thalia muttered. Percy looked up.

"I… I don't know. It felt like I was supposed to. I mean, it didn't feel wrong."

Thalia looked at Percy with a confused expression, before turning away.

The two were silent the rest of the elevator trip up.

When the doors opened, Percy and Thalia carefully peeked out, making sure the way was clear before leaving the safety of the lift. Thankfully for them, this part of the Hoover Dam had a multitude of tourist-friendly signs, making it easy for them to find the café – well, that and the fact that most of the tourists were heading to the snack bar along with them.

"There!" Thalia yelled, pointing a finger at a window table. Grover and Bianca were sitting down with some burritos, and from the look of it, they had barely started eating.

"We need to leave now," Percy gasped as he reached their table. "Now!"

"Wait," Grover protested. "We just got our burritos!" Thalia moved over, stuffed the burritos back into the paper bag they came in, dragged the bewildered satyr to his feet, and stuffed the paper bag into his hands. Then she turned his head so he could see past the café exit.

"Oh," was the only thing Grover uttered. Bianca scrambled to her feet, having seen what Grover saw. Outside of the panoramic window they had been sitting by, there were three skeletons on each side of the state line, while three more were near the café exit. Just as Grover turned to the elevator, said elevator dinged and three more skeletons – the ones that Rachel had thrown off track towards the turbines – stepped out, their eyes, or rather eye sockets, metaphorically burning and their teeth clacking as they saw the group of demigods and satyr. They were surrounded.

And then Grover threw a burrito at a skeleton.

No one was sure exactly what happened – perhaps one of the schoolkids there had thought that another kid had started a food fight – but the result was nonetheless the same: one second, things were peaceful – the next, it was as if they had collectively decided to re-enact a battle with food.

The hapless skeletons with batons tried to wade through the mess, but were inevitably slammed into or tripped by someone. The others couldn't even aim their guns because there was too much debris to get a clear shot onto them.

In the chaos, Percy and Thalia both took advantage of the situation and body-slammed the two closest skeletons into the ensuing food fight. They weren't about to pull out their respective weapons and start slicing – who knew what the Mist would make _that_ look like. The four quest companions raced through the stairs and back out to the open-air entrance of the Hoover Dam. From each side of the street, each squad of three skeletons raced towards them, batons and pistols at the ready.

Percy and company found themselves backed up against the bronze statues looking for a way out. He glanced at Thalia for help, but found that she was looking at the bronze statues. She had a hand extended out towards the foot of one, her eyes almost glazed over as she inaudibly moved her lips.

"Thalia!" Percy yelled, trying to get her attention. That shook the daughter of Zeus out of her reverie, and she snapped her hand back as she blinked.

"S-sorry, I'm not sure what happened," she uttered, before turning around and facing the oncoming skeletons.

"It's fine. But what's the game plan here?" Percy asked as he looked around. In front of them, six skeletons approached from two different directions, while behind them, he knew that the other six would be extricating themselves from the carb-heavy mess that the Hoover Dam snack bar was becoming. They would soon be surrounded, with skeletons closing in on them in force from both in front and behind.

"I think we should go for one their vans," Thalia said resolutely. She resisted the urge to turn around and look at the bronze statues, which seemed to beckon to her, and instead focused on Percy and laying out her plan to the assembled group.

The clicking and clacking of the skeletons grew closer as the four all nodded and looked forward again. By now, they could also hear the tell-tale sounds of skeleton-speech closing in behind them as well, so time was of the essence.

"Now!" Thalia yelled, and Percy rushed forward, raising one hand and bursting a nearby water hydrant, causing a deluge of water to flood the concrete ground up to ankle-height around the six skeletons in front of them. At the same time, Grover played his pipes, causing the plants that decorated the entrance of the Hoover Dam to sprout and grow erratically, reaching out with long vines that snagged and tripped up the skeletons. Combined with the fact that they had already lost balance with the sudden flooding, all of the skeletons fell to the ground. Percy followed up by bursting another water hydrant and pushing all six skeletons off the edge of the dam, the clicking and clacking of their bones fading into the distance as they all fell out of hearing range. Grover, spent from magical exertion nearly collapsed, only avoiding the hard ground as Bianca caught him and hoisted one of his arms over her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Thalia had opened her shield, and raised it while facing the entrance of the Hoover Dam, ready to deflect any stray bullets from the skeletons behind them. Indeed, even as the six skeletons from the café converged at the entrance of the dam, some snarled and fired the stray random bullet, but Thalia steadfastly kept her shield up, protecting her friends. The sight of Medusa's visage on the replicated Aegis, even a fake one, caused the skeletons to snarl – as best a skull could, that is – at its sight, but they still slowly walked towards the questers.

Percy and Bianca both helped carry Grover, while Thalia protected them from behind as they backed towards one of the black, non-descript vans that was haphazardly parked on the side of the road. Percy rushed up and threw open the doors, making sure there were no unwelcome surprises lurking within. With a grunt, he and Bianca lifted Grover into the back, lying him down as Bianca jumped in as well. Percy slid the side door shut, opened the driver's seat door, and ran around the van to get into the front passenger seat.

Thalia felt herself bump into the van on her back. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she pulled out her can of Mace, transformed into her spear, and summoned as much strength as she could. Suddenly opening her eyes, she flung a lightning bolt at the group of skeletons, blasting them backwards and blinding them with a bright flash. She quickly took advantage of the attack, collapsing her shield and spear as she climbed into the driver's seat.

Before the remaining skeletons could re-orient themselves, the van pulled away, heading into Nevada on the way to their ultimate destination.

As they crossed state lines and put miles between them and the Hoover Dam, only then did Percy and Thalia sigh in relief and smile at each other. Percy looked at the back of the van, only to see Grover still lying there, unconscious, and Bianca curled up on one of the seats, her eyes closed as she had a jacket draped over her.

Percy turned back around. They were safe.

He looked at his best friend. Even now, she was the most awake, the most alert, the strongest one of them all. Even tired, she persevered when the rest of them were crashing. It was what set her apart. And it was just one of the many things Percy admired about Thalia Grace.

Now, perhaps, it wouldn't be inappropriate. To tell her.

He stopped himself before his tired mind could do something he would regret. They were still on a quest. Yes, the quest. He would tell her afterwards. That was a good enough compromise.

Even as he breathed deeply and leaned into the chair, settling in for the long haul, he felt content. It was almost things were going their way for once.

* * *

Aphrodite glared as she stared at her wall-length vanity mirror. With clench of her fist, the entire mirror shattered, shards falling to the ground. It all lay there for a few moments, before the entire mess disappeared with a wave of her hand. The mirror replaced itself, as if nothing had happened at all in the last ten seconds.

She glanced at herself again, schooling her face into a more neutral expression before checking her clothing. The goddess enjoyed her ancient Greek clothing, and as such, she was draped in a similar style as she was over two millennia prior, except now she wore fine silk and had more modern accessories like diamond earrings.

She strode over to her couch, high heels clicking on the marble floors as she did. Her entire palace was modeled in the ancient Greek fashion, but like her clothing, it was all updated for modern day amenities and style. As she slid into the loveseat, she idly wondered whether calling Ares over would help her mood, before deciding that having a brash knucklehead in her presence was not likely to improve her countenance any.

Percy Jackson was a simply infuriating creature. He had no regard for her advice, and in fact regularly went against it completely. She could not allow this affront to her stand. The boy would one day get his comeuppance, and she would only gloat about how he should have just followed her words.

In the back of her mind, she wondered why he would choose Thalia Grace over Annabeth Chase. What was the reason? What did the rebellious punk have over the smart daughter of Athena in Percy Jackson's eyes? She couldn't even pretend to understand as she closed her eyes and leaned back to relax.

Suddenly, the temperature dropped, sending the entire complex from a comfortable room temperature down to a chilly cold. Aphrodite's eyes snapped open as a shadow lowered itself into her living room.

" _ **My Child,**_ " it whispered, its voice simultaneously rough and sweet.

"Patér," Aphrodite gasped out, her voice quiet and awed.

" _ **How is it?**_ "

Aphrodite stood up, inhaling like she couldn't breathe well and gazing around in absolute wonder. Her eyes were wide, and her hair, which was normally meticulous, was messy and out-of-place. She, however, did not care.

"It is underway. It will soon be complete, as you want. It moves apace."

" _ **Good,**_ " the voice crooned. " _ **You must sow the seeds…**_ "

The last part was little more than a whisper, a last breath uttered.

" _ **Of discord.**_ "

* * *

 **A/N:** For clarification, when Aphrodite says "pater", that is not the Latin version, but rather the Romanization of the ancient Greek word. It ends up being about the same because they both, if I am not incorrect, they share roots.

As for the story, this is where the train starts rolling. I originally didn't have this in mind, but as I strived to avoid just rehashing three novels worth of canon, this story has evolved beyond my original idea. This chapter and the next are fairly similar to canon, albeit with changes and expansions, but beyond this, I can and will start deviating from canon significantly. I have three books, if you will, planned out, the first of which is already underway – all three will be in the same story, because while I call them books, they aren't distinct or long enough to be considered separate installments. More like different thematic arcs. Anyway, I will be introducing new elements into the story that were not seen in canon, and I will be pulling from Greek myths as I do so. Percy and Thalia will have to face more than Kronos to find peace.

Don't forget to review, favorite, and follow. Stay tuned.


	9. Feelings

It took them over ten hours to drive from the Hoover Dam to San Francisco, after factoring the stops for food and breaks – after all, Thalia was still a mortal, and she couldn't drive forever. By the time they pulled into an open spot near the Embarcadero Center, it was already mid-day, and the sun was glaring as harshly down as it could in winter on the city of San Francisco. The next day was the Winter Solstice. They were running out of time.

Thalia shut off the van's engine as the four questers sat in silence. Turning around, she had an inquisitive look as they all stared at one another.

"Ideas?" she asked.

"Well," Grover began, his tone uncertain but hopeful, "the 'bane of Olympus' is supposed to show us the way, but we don't know what it is."

"So we need to find this monster," Percy suddenly said, picking up on what Grover was hinting at. "We find it, and it'll lead us to Artemis." He smiled as everyone else nodded their heads.

"Wait," Bianca spoke up. "What's the monster?"

Everybody froze. They were trying to follow the trail of a monster, yet they had no idea what the monster was, much less where that trail began or led. Then Grover sat up straight, as if jolted by electricity.

"Nereus!" he cried. Thalia and Bianca looked at him with confused expressions, while Percy's eyes widened in an ' _ah_ ' moment.

"The old man of the sea," Percy whispered. "But where do we find him? I mean, sure, we're on the coast, but the West Coast is _huge_. He can anywhere in San Francisco – or further."

"Well, I think we can assume that he'll be in San Francisco," Thalia pondered out loud. "The quest is almost certainly pointing us here, where Mount Othrys is rising again. If someone as old and knowledgeable as Nereus were to be anywhere at a time like this, it'd be here, in San Francisco. We need to get onto the street and start looking for trails." The others all hummed a tone of agreement, and they quickly exited the van, stretching as they jumped onto the pavement.

"You know," Percy commented as he exited the van, "I'd assume someone that's called 'the old man of the sea' would be near the sea. Shouldn't we look at the piers and whatnot?" Bianca nodded in agreement as she looked at the older girl. Thalia pursed her lips as she slowly nodded as well.

"Percy and I will take the piers north of Embarcadero," Thalia stated, readying her can of Mace and checking her bracelet. "You two," she continued, looking at Grover and Bianca, "take everything south of it. Use Grover's sense of smell to sniff out everything that's off, but try to keep to the piers." The two nodded, and they headed off, Grover's nose already tilted upwards and sniffing. From a distance, Thalia saw Bianca giggle at Grover's antics.

"Righto, you ready?" Percy asked, causing the girl to turn back toward him. With a quick nod, the two set off towards the piers, relying on their senses to hopefully tell them when something was 'off' in the bad ancient Greek way.

"What do we do if we find Nereus?" Percy asked, glaring at all of the potential "this could be Nereus" people, which included anyone that was over fifty and had a beard, and trying not to look like a creep.

"If I remember my myths correctly, Hercules needed Nereus to find the Golden Apples of the Hesperides." Thalia held her chin with one hand in thought. "I think when Nereus jumped into the sea, Hercules held on as tightly as he could until Nereus gave up." She smiled at her words. "Well, this makes it pretty easy for you then, right?"

Percy nervously chuckled as they reached the pier. It was filled with old homeless people that fit Percy's search descriptions, but most of them were pretty average – regular (if bad) smells and no "I can and will smite you" auras. It wasn't until they reached the end of the pier that Percy found someone that stood out.

Rather, his smell stood out. The awful stink of rotten fish permeated the space between the two demigods and the old man that was sleeping in a pair of dirty pajamas. His belly was fat and poked out from underneath his shirt, while his long, messy, and unkempt white beard was stained and dirty. Thalia prodded Percy forward against his protests, and he reluctantly edged forward slowly, his hand in his pocket and on his pen. When he was right by the old man, Percy reached down and grabbed the sleeping man's shoulders, jostling him awake.

The old man yelped and grabbed Percy in response, his iron-like grip nearly crushing Percy. "Help!" he cried, though Percy felt like the old man needed no help. Vaguely, Percy heard cries of indignation in the distance from the other homeless people that were on the pier, but he paid them no attention as he and Nereus wrestled with one another, the latter doing his very best to try and shake off the demigod.

"Darn it, I'm a half-blood! I want information!" Percy yelled. His words seemed to have the opposite effect of what they were intended for – Nereus struggled even more.

"Heroes! Why do they always pick on me!" The struggle became like a rollercoaster for Percy as he tried to stay on while Nereus tried to throw him off. As they neared the water, an idea popped into Percy's head.

"Damn, don't fall into the water, you old coot!" he muttered as loudly under his breath as he could. Nereus took the bait and laughed as he jumped into the water, seemingly assured of victory against the upstart brat that was trying to cling onto him.

Instead, what he found was an even tighter pressure on his shoulders as Percy's grip strength was enhanced to extraordinary levels, courtesy of his heritage. Still, Nereus had a few tricks up his own sleeve. A second into the water, and Percy found himself holding onto a slick black seal.

Nereus didn't waste any time, diving straight to the bottom of the ocean before changing direction and going straight up in an attempt to shake Percy loose. In the span of seconds, Nereus took the form of a dozen different fish before turning back into a human.

"Why won't you drown?" he yelled, futilely struggling in the water.

"I'm Poseidon's son," Percy replied, still holding on tightly.

"Damn that usurper!" Nereus wailed, but his resistance grew weaker as he struggled to make it back to the docks. When he finally pulled himself out of the water, he collapsed into a mess of ripped clothing and limbs, his chest heaving with deep, large breaths. Percy, on the other hand, pulled himself out of the water with gusto, and if anything, he looked more refreshed and energetic than before he had fought with Nereus.

"You got him!" Thalia yelled as she ran over. Grover and Bianca were right behind her. Percy threw Thalia a playful eyebrow-raise as if he were saying 'you doubted me?' before turning back to the tired old man.

"Oh wonderful," Nereus muttered, covering his eyes with a hand. "An audience for my humiliation. What is it going to be, the normal deal? Let me go if I answer a question?" He said that last part sarcastically, some of the pent-up anger over the last few millennia leaking out in his words.

"Wait, one? I've got more than one question," Percy said.

"Only one question per capture – that's standard!" The Old Man of the Sea uncovered his eyes, staring at both Percy and Thalia as if he knew a secret of the universe about them that they didn't about themselves.

"Interesting," he muttered to himself, too quietly for any of the demigods to hear. "Most interesting."

Somewhere in the back of Percy's mind, a little nagging voice was telling to ask about Annabeth – and he did want to ask about Annabeth, but only to make sure she was alright. That voice was feminine, and although it was quiet and small, it had an alluring quality to it…

Percy shook his head, flinging a few drops of water away as he re-focused on the Old Man of the Sea.

"All right, Nereus, tell us where to find this terrible monster that can bring an end to the gods – the monster that Artemis was hunting."

Nereus smiled, a sight that was wholly unpleasant and devoid of actual humor.

"Oh, that's easy. It's right there." He pointed right past Percy's feet, into the water.

"What?" Percy exclaimed, whirling around.

"The deal is finished!" Nereus yelled, quickly turning into a fish and flipping into the sea. Percy cursed as he readied himself to jump into the sea to follow the old sea god, but Thalia's voice stopped him.

"Wait, what's _that_?" she asked. Percy looked straight down as he heard a loud 'moo' sound.

"Bessie?" the son of Poseidon asked, reaching down to pet her.

"He says his name isn't Bessie," Grover gasped out, shocked that he could understand the creature.

"Uh, you can understand him?" Percy asked.

"He speaks a form of old animal speech," Grover explained. "He says his name is the Ophiotaurus."

"Which means serpent bull, but what does that tell us?" Thalia questioned out loud.

Another moo came from the Ophiotaurus, and Grover nodded as he took it in.

"It says that Percy is his protector, and that he's running away from bad people. He says that the bad people are close."

"Wait, how'd you get that out of one 'moo'?" Bianca asked, bewildered by the turn of events.

"More importantly," Thalia interrupted, "this is the monster that can destroy Olympus?"

They all fell silent at this prompt.

"I guess so," Grover shakily responded.

Thalia sighed. "Well, I don't know how that's supposed to work, but we need to protect it. It's got the power to destroy Olympus, and that's definitely something we can't let fall into the enemy's hands.

"Unfortunately for you," came a cultured and heavy French accent from the side of the pier, "it is too late to avoid that."

Percy's blood chilled as he realized that they had been surrounded. The Ophiotaurus gave a little whine and submerged underneath the water. Standing near them was none other than the manticore himself, Dr. Thorn, and there were human mercenaries with guns standing around the pier.

"It is, however," the manticore continued, "not too late for you to join us, my dear. This could be but the beginning of your greatest victory." He gestured toward Thalia. "You have the power to destroy Olympus and the corruption it represents that has driven so many great heroes to despair. When you turn sixteen, you will sacrifice the entrails of the Ophiotaurus, and that will grant you unlimited power to destroy the Olympians!"

Percy glanced at his friend, shocked to see her standing still and not refuting any of the manticore's words.

"Your friend Luke is prescient – he has foreseen this, and made the decision to join the right side. The stronger side. You can rule this world with him under the watchful eye of the Titans," the manticore spoke to Thalia directly. "You have no reason to fight for the Olympians; what have they ever done for you? Your father abandoned you, and now they only seek to use you for their dirty work. Come! Call the beast and it will follow you."

Thalia was silent.

"Thalia, snap out of it!" Percy pleaded, touching her shoulder. She turned around, her eyes revealing conflict and confusion. It scared Percy. He had no idea that she had such negative feelings towards the Olympians. But it was also more than that…

"Luke," she whispered, her eyes staring straight at Percy but looking far beyond. He felt his heart seize in that moment. Of course, for him it was never going to be like that. How could he have ever thought that he could compete with Luke Castellan of all people?

Shaking slightly, Percy turned toward Grover, and the satyr quickly understood, pulling out his pipes and playing a quick riff. The manticore yelled and the human mercenaries raised their guns, but before they could figure out which one of the four kids was a bigger threat, the wooden planks they stood on grew branches, entangling their legs and tripping them. Bianca followed up by sending an arrow into the pack of mercenaries, letting loose a cloud of yellow smoke upon impact. The human mercenaries were left coughing and wheezing, and as Dr. Thorn bellowed in anger, Percy grabbed Thalia and dragged her with him, ignoring the twinge in his heart and the fact that Thalia was only half-heartedly keeping up with him.

The four down the pier and ducked behind a nearby water fountain. On one side was a kiosk, and on the other was the sea itself, a few rocks here and there that some sea lions took full advantage of to tan themselves. They were trapped, and they had a manticore and many mercenaries encroaching upon their position. Grover played his pipes furiously as Bianca did her best to barrage the enemies with arrows, but it did little to halt their advance.

"Thalia," Percy whispered, staring straight into his friend's blue eyes. She looked more lost than he had ever seen her, and it frightened him. "Please don't abandon us."

There was a breath of silence.

"I-"

"Percy!" Grover yelled, in-between breaths, cutting Percy off. "Jump into the sea! You can at least save the Ophiotaurus!"

"I won't leave you guys," Percy responded, still kneeling in front of Thalia but his head turned to face his satyr friend. "We'll fight together." He felt a grip on his shoulder, and turned around again to see Thalia with her eyes closed, slightly shaking as she had a hand on his shoulder.

"Percy," she breathed. "I-I'm sorry," she shakily said, as she opened her eyes. They were moist. "I won't abandon you, Percy."

Percy pursed his lips, putting both hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry about it. Just, just stay here." He left her behind the safety of the fountain as he stared at the oncoming opposition. Then he saw the mist of the fountain water.

"Drachma," Percy whispered, and Grover understood. The satyr dug out a gold coin and tossed it to the demigod. Percy quickly said the words and an image appeared. Unfortunately, it was an image of none other than Mr. D himself.

"Do you mind?" the god of wine lazily said, as he rummaged through the refrigerator.

"Where's Chiron?" Percy shouted.

"How rude," Mr. D responded, taking a long drink of grape juice. "Is that how you greet your mother?"

"Hello," Percy forced himself to say, yielding under the circumstances. "We're about to die! Where's Chiron!"

"How melodramatic, Peter Johnson. I'm afraid Chiron isn't here. Would you like me to take a message for him?"

"You're kidding," Percy whispered. "We're dead."

"We'll go down fighting," came Thalia's voice. It was still a little shaky, but it had regained much of its usual fiery nature. She was beside Percy, her shield expanded and her spear ready.

"And I thought you were being dramatic earlier. Well, as I'm still talking to you, I assume you've, once again, jumped the gun. What is the problem, exactly?"

Percy related the whole tale about the Ophiotaurus to Mr. D.

"Hm. Well, that's quite something. I see." Mr. D took another drink of his grape juice.

"You don't even care!" Percy screamed. "You're okay with just watching us die!"

Around them, more human mercenaries were showing up. Some were up on the rooftops, their rifles trained on their position, while others flanked Dr. Thorn, the manticore slowly but surely making his way toward them, his smile showing that he was savoring the moment.

"You could _ask_ for help. Ask _politely_ , that is. It's always been an option."

Percy would've rather gone down against the oncoming enemies rather than begged Mr. D for help, but even as he felt conviction in that thought, he remembered Thalia's tear-stained eyes as she struggled to make the choice between unlimited power and them. Between the Titans and the Olympians.

Between Luke and him.

And in that moment, Percy realized the magnitude of this moment for Thalia. She had made several hard decisions in one go, and had sacrificed a chance to be with Luke to be with them instead. She had let go of power beyond imagination for them. How could he let his selfishness hurt her?

"Please, Mr. D," Percy pleaded. "Help."

Dionysus looked at Percy, but said nothing.

"Spare the daughter of Zeus," the manticore said, a wide, gruesome smile on his face. "She will join us soon enough. Kill the others."

The human mercenaries lifted their guns. Percy pulled out Riptide and half-turned, ready to charge.

The smell of freshly crushed grapes wafted to Percy's nose.

An audible 'SNAP' filled the air.

And then the most inexplicable things happened.

Two of the mercenaries simply backflipped off the roof of a nearby building, their bones audibly cracking and shattering on impact. Another clawed his eyes out and then ran into a wall, repeated bashing his head until blood stained the bricks. Yet another jumped into oncoming traffic on the road, the sickening crack giving Percy all the indication he needed of what happened. And still more put their guns into their mouths and pulled.

It was an absolutely gruesome, horrendous sight. The sight of madness incarnate.

Bianca shook at the wanton violence in front of them, and Grover held onto her to comfort the young Hunter as she slid to the ground. Thalia look visibly shaken, and Percy felt sick watching what had just happened.

"Agh!" the manticore yelled. "I will deal with you brats myself!" Before he could make it two steps, however, a vine sprouted around him. As he struggled, another, and another, grew, until his entire body was covered with grape vines. New leaves and fresh clusters of baby grapes grew until he resembled nothing more than a thrashing bundle of green, and then, with a shriek and a crunch, there was no more movement.

Percy didn't think there would ever be anymore movement.

"Well," Dionysus finally said, closing his refrigerator and finishing off his grape juice. "That was fun."

"H-how…" Percy muttered, shocked by what he had just seen. Madness in its purest form. Utterly terrifying. Utterly disgusting.

"Such gratitude," Dionysus drawled. "The Mist will solve most of the mortals' issues. Here's a tip, Mr. Jackson. Go to Tamalpais." He changed gears as he stared at the equally shell-shocked Thalia. "It isn't easy to resist power, is it?"

The girl nodded.

Dionysus sighed, before looking up again at the duo. "Interesting," he whispered to himself. "Percy Jackson and Thalia Grace," he spoke up louder. "You would do well to remember the lessons you've learned today." With that, Mr. D cut the call, the image fading out to mist.

Percy silently looked over at Thalia, who was also looking at him. She shot him a shaky smile, the events that had just unfolded still affecting her.

She had chosen them over power. The Olympians over the Titans.

And him over Luke. His heart soared.

He was ready to take on the world.


	10. Revivals

"We're moving too slowly," Thalia sighed, coming to a stop on the side of the road with her hands on her hips and her head hanging down in a somewhat dejected fashion. Behind her, Bianca, Percy, and Grover all halted, and the Ophiotaurus, which was following them in the water, slowed down, instead choosing to spin around in circles in the water with the occasional flip.

Thalia was right to be concerned. They had been moving for nearly two hours after the battle at the pier, but they had only made it to the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was already beginning to set, and they were running out of precious time; they only had a few hours left before the beginning of the Winter Solstice.

"The Ophiotaurus is slowing us down too much," Bianca quietly said, looking at the creature as it played in the water.

"Wait!" Grover suddenly spoke up, causing his friends to turn towards him as he looked at Bessie. "The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?" Seeing Percy nod, the satyr continued. "Well, we can prod him back to Long Island Sound, and Chiron can help him from there."

"But he was following me," Percy replied, unsure of how they would prod, so to speak, the Ophiotaurus all the way to the other side of the continent. "How would we get him there alone?" As if to agree with Percy's sentiment, the Ophiotaurus mooed forlornly, its eyes wide as it looked at the four questers.

There was a silence that stretched to nearly a minute before Grover cleared his throat. "I'll go with him. To lead him to Olympus."

Percy stared at his hooved friend in near-shock. Grover was infamously scared of going into water, and yet, here he was, ready to accompany a sea creature on a cross-continent sea trip.

"Are you sure?" Percy asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Grover said, his voice hard and his head nodding. "I'm the only one who can talk with him. It's the only option." Grover turned to the sea again, and he paled as he viewed the wide expanse that was the Pacific, but with a gulp, he leaned in to the Bessie and whispered into his ear. The Ophiotaurus shivered before making a low, contented sound as it sank a little lower into the water.

"That was the blessing of the Wild," Grover quietly said, still looking queasily at the ocean. "That should help us with safe passage. Percy, pray to your dad as well. See if he will grant us safe passage through the sea."

Percy nodded, and stared at the waves as it crashed upon the shore, tuning everything else out. All that existed was the clear sight of the water, the salty smell of the sea, and the gentle sound of the waves.

"Dad," he whispered, his voice barely audible to his friends. "Please keep Grover and the Ophiotaurus safe. Bring them to the camp. Protect them." There was a pause before a hand, softly laid on his shoulder, brought him back to reality.

"A prayer like that," Thalia said, "needs a sacrifice. Something big."

The son of Poseidon nodded, looking at the ground before sliding his coat off his shoulders. As Percy did so, the coat reverted back to its original form, the fur eerily reminiscent of the Nemean Lion that they had fought not long ago. With a glance, he tossed it into the water, watching it float for a few seconds before sinking beneath the waterline. The lion skin seemed to dissolve into light, and with that, the breeze unnaturally picked up. A sign.

"Percy," Grover slowly began, "that was the Nemean Lion's skin. Even Hercules used it."

Percy took a deep breath before replying. "If I'm – no, if we're going to survive, it's not because I had a lion skin coat. I'm not Hercules." He winced as he remembered how he had said those exact words to Zoë just a few days past. It felt like an eternity ago – they had lost so much on the way.

Grover nodded. There wasn't much else to say – either way, the coat was gone already.

"I'll be off, then," the satyr said, jumping into the water. "No time to waste." He shot a last look at Percy and Thalia, before sparing one last glance and grin at Bianca before he took hold around Bessie's neck, the Ophiotaurus offering a ride to the fearful satyr.

"Be careful, G-man," Percy said, wishing the best for his friend.

"We will." And with that, satyr and Ophiotaurus alike disappeared underneath the water, their trail showing a speedy journey before it disappeared into the waves.

"Well, that solves that problem," Thalia said, as the other two demigods looked at her.

"We still need a car, though," Percy replied, Bianca nodding in agreement with him.

"Should we just steal one?" Bianca asked, causing the two older demigods to look at her. Percy looked as if he was about to shoot down the proposal, but he sighed instead and looked at Thalia, who had become the de facto leader of their quest after they lost Zoë. She looked conflicted between the obvious need for a vehicle and the moral quandary presented by stealing one, even in their dire circumstances. Suddenly, her eyes brightened, and she swung around her backpack to look for something, shifting through the various items she had in there to find what she wanted.

"Wait," she hurriedly said to her companions, before pulling out a small piece of crumpled paper. "I think I have a better option."

"You know someone in San Francisco?" Percy asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah," she replied. "Frederick Chase. Annabeth's dad.

* * *

Percy leaned against the front seat passenger's window of the Chases' yellow convertible Volkswagen, watching the landscape roll past as the sun crept ever closer to setting. As usual, Thalia drove, and in the backseat, Bianca sat quietly, looking out much like Percy was.

Frederick Chase was… an odd man, Percy felt. The professor was certainly eccentric. Between his World War I models and the fact that he had an actual working biplane, Frederick Chase was extremely enthusiastic about things that most would not care the slightest about. This oddness, however, did not mean that the good professor wasn't a _good_ man – from what Percy had seen, Frederick Chase seemed like an intelligent man, a reasonable parent, and a caring father. All in all, very much a different picture than the one that Annabeth had painted of her father many years ago. The easiest explanation, and the most likely was that the man had come to terms with what his daughter represented. A world beneath the world, one that he inevitably had a foot in but would never be able to engage with.

Pulling himself back to reality, Percy looked at where they were going. Tamalpais loomed in front of them, and he could feel the uncomfortable knot of dread begin to weave itself in his stomach. This was going to be it. The final battle where the fate of the world could be determined. They had to win, or they risked the loss of both Annabeth and Artemis as well as the beginning of a war.

Suddenly, Percy shifted upright, staring out of the window.

"Look," he whispered, and Thalia spared a glance while Bianca stared. It was a big white cruise ship, docked at the beach.

"Is that Luke's ship?" Thalia whispered. Percy didn't want to believe that it was, but he knew better. That was why Luke had sent _Princess Andromeda_ all the way through the Panama Canal. He had brought his legions of monsters to the shores of California.''

"Yeah," Percy quietly whispered. "Which means we'll have to fight some monsters. And Luke." The last sentence was nearly inaudible, but Thalia seemed to have heard it, because she tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she solely focused forward.

"The Mist is getting really thick," she muttered, keeping her attention on the road and off the hordes of monsters assembling at the base of the mountain – or on the fact that Luke was there with those monsters.

Percy opened his mouth to reply when Thalia suddenly stiffened and slammed on the breaks, sending them all forward to strain against their seatbelts.

"Out!" Thalia yelled, and the three demigods all scrambled out of their seats and into the road as a flash of lightning flared across Percy's vision. A large boom accompanied the flash as a thunderbolt struck the yellow Volkswagen, causing it to erupt like a grenade. Percy and Bianca, who were both on the same side of the car, were sent flying back as pieces of debris and shrapnel flew through the air.

"Agh," Percy groaned, rolling over. He screamed as he tried to move his left arm. Shaking, he turned his head to his left side, where he saw a small piece of metal sticking out of his upper left arm. With a cry, he pulled it off, letting the blood gush as he tossed away the piece of shrapnel. Pulling himself up, he stumbled over to Bianca, who lay still on the ground.

"Bianca," Percy said out loud, and the young Hunter stirred. She was in little better condition than him, but she, thankfully, had no debris that had hit her, meaning she was in an overall better condition than he was.

"Thalia," Percy whispered, his voice still hoarse from the acidic air that dried his throat. The son of Poseidon wandered to the other side of the flaming wreck. It was considerably more destroyed, with some of the road also cracked and smashed. The trees by the side of the road burned as the fires from the explosion found fuel.

"Thalia!" Percy yelled as loudly as he could. There was movement some thirty feet away by a tree, and Percy rushed over to see the daughter of Zeus cough as she retracted her shield. Still, she lay on the ground, breathing deeply her electric blue eyes stared accusingly at the sky.

"One shall perish by a parent's hand," Thalia muttered, her tone hard. "Curse you. You would destroy me?"

Percy looked taken aback by the venom in her tone before he realized that she assumed it was Zeus that had just flung a lightning bolt at them.

"There's no way that could've been Zeus' lightning bolt." Those accusing blue eyes locked onto him.

"Whose, then?" Thalia demanded, her tone angry and sharp.

"I don't know. Maybe it was Kronos. It's something he would do to make you lose faith in your father, to split the two of you up. He's trying to manipulate you." Thalia looked away, her eyes still burning. Still, when Percy extended his hand, Thalia took it.

With a tug, Percy helped Thalia back onto her feet, and once he had gotten Bianca onto her feet as well, the three set off again, Percy walking beside Thalia while Bianca followed closely behind.

"Stay close," Thalia said to the two demigods following her as they went deeper into the Mist. At this point, the sun was barely over the horizon, little more than a sliver of light that made the water of the ocean sparkle as it went down. As the sun crept those last few inches on the horizon, the path in front of us cleared, becoming one solid path.

And beyond that path was a lush garden, an Eden of the west. Fruits lined the trees of the meadow, most notably the golden apples that gleamed and shined in the remaining light. The grass was a rich green, vibrant and thick, and flowers were everywhere in every color.

There was also a dragon, and it breathed heavily as it slumbered, its every snore multiplied by the many heads it had. Its scales were shiny and hard – Percy doubted Riptide could stab through it if push came to shove.

Before any of the demigods could figure out what to do, or how to get around the massive dragon, an eerie, yet beautiful, singing filled the air, chilling Percy to his core and making every hair on his body stand up. An unnatural singing, one that sounded ancient and probably was. He pulled out Riptide, keeping it in its pen form but with its cap half-off.

Four figures faded into appearance in front of them. Each wore Greek clothing. Their skin was like caramel. Their hair was like silk, black and lustrous. They were all beautiful, and they carried themselves like royalty, haughtily looking upon the three demigods that had inadvertently stumbled into their realm.

"Three half-bloods, one a Hunter," one spoke, her voice having an ethereal quality. "You shall all die soon."

Percy snarled, and he nearly uncapped Riptide then and there, but before he could retort, a familiar voice rang out behind him.

"I think not." The demigods turned.

Zoë Nightshade, lieutenant of Artemis, stood resolutely at the gates of the garden.

* * *

The Hunter looked somewhat worse for wear. Her clothes were dirtied and somewhat more ragged than they had been when they had last saw her, but she still carried her bow and a quiver of arrows. Her expression was ambiguous.

"Sisters," she said, looking at the four Hesperides in front of them as she strode up to where Percy, Thalia, and Bianca stood. The former two were very much surprised by her appearance, while the latter one stood still, shocked by the elder Hunter's appearance.

"You are no sister of ours," another of the Hesperides snarled, her voice harsh.

Zoë looked impassive at this and continued on. "We must continue onwards to the mountain."

"You know that he will kill you. Why do you struggle?"

"We must free Artemis," Zoë continued as if none of the sisters had spoken up. "You will not stop us."

"You have no right to be here," the fourth sister spoke. "All we have to do is cry for help, and Ladon will awake."

Zoë laughed, before yelling, "Ladon!" This cry shocked the Hesperides sisters, who all cried in fear as they stumbled back.

"You fool!" one of them yelled. "You will die! You have no control over him!"

The Hunter calmly walked towards the awakening dragon, its many eyes focusing on the woman walking towards him.

"He will remember me. Don't you, my little dragon?" Ladon looked confused as Zoë approached, some heads unsure of what to do.

"It's me, my little dragon," Zoë continued, ignoring the yelps from the Hesperides. With one hand behind her back, she gestured to the other demigods to move. Thalia took the lead and dragged Bianca, with Percy following close behind, by the edge of the garden, making sure to keep as far away from the golden tree and Ladon as possible. They had almost made it out when Percy felt the atmosphere change.

Ladon lunged at Zoë, and she barely dodged it, backing away fast enough to escape the dragon's sharp, slashing fangs as she ran towards her fellow questers. Percy pulled out Riptide, his sword ready to help, but Zoë waved it away as she ran towards them.

"No! Just run!" she yelled, sprinting as fast as she could out of the garden. The other demigods followed, and Ladon gave up on the chase, returning to the golden tree as the Hesperides continued their song.

The song was morbid now. Fitting for the end of the quest, for it would end one way or another at the summit of Mount Tamalpais.

* * *

 **A/N:** The next chapter will be the end of "The Titan's Curse" arc.


	11. Victories

Mount Othrys was much like what Percy imagined the ruins of the Parthenon would have looked like if the Athenians were evil superpowered beings hell-bent on dominating the world and all that lived in it. There was rubble everywhere, much of it littering the fields of the flatter part of the mountain they were now approaching as they hiked up the side of Mount Tamalpais. The intricate columns, a remnant of the Archaic architecture of ancient Greece, and the half-crumbled marble statues that extended around the perimeter of the complex hearkened back to an age of glory long past. All in all, it was much like the ruins that could be seen around Greece.

That is, if those ruins were reforming themselves.

Even as Percy watched, pieces of marble flew back to what must have been its original place, slotting in like a puzzle piece that had been missing for centuries. Facades were repaired. Columns were rebuilt. Statues were reborn. The entire mountain – Othrys, that is, not Tamalpais – seemed to be returning itself back to its ancient self. An ancient self that was in direct opposition with the Olympian gods.

"What's going on?" Bianca asked quietly, keeping behind the battle-worn Zoë as they passed through the reforming marble buildings of the Titans' stronghold.

"Othrys is rebuilding itself," Thalia whispered, looking at the ongoing process with awe and no small amount of fear. For the Titan fortress to be repairing itself, the Titans themselves had to be gaining strength, which to any sane demigod was a legitimate source of deep concern.

"We are running out of time if it has come this far," Zoë growled out, her voice low and her movement steady forward. "We must move quickly. There is no time to waste here." Thalia nodded an affirmative, and the two women led the small group while Percy and Bianca took up the rear as they quickly, but cautiously, moved through the ruins of Mount Othrys.

Soon, they came to another path, one that led even higher on the mountain, and Zoë, with a distinct look of consternation on her face as she looked at the path and where it led, strode onwards, barely wasting a second in hesitation as she began hiking up the trail. Behind her, Thalia, Percy, and Bianca followed, wary of any possible attack. Even though there were no signs of monsters, the entire mountain gave off a vibe that unsettled even the most experienced of demigods. This feeling didn't dissipate as they moved onwards; on the contrary, it seemed to increase as they climbed, like a deadly sense of increasing pressure that settled in their stomachs and made the weight of each step seem like moving in molasses. By the time they moved past the rows of rocks and out into an open summit, Bianca looked like she was on the verge of being sick, her breaths coming in short and in gasps as she struggled to find her equilibrium.

The sky was a dark gray, with a vortex swirling to make a funnel cloud that reached down to nearly touch the ground of the mountain's summit. And at the center of the funnel cloud was a young girl who, from a distance, looked no older than twelve. Her auburn hair was infused with dust and soot, and her silvery dress was dirty and tattered. Once they approached, however, Percy could feel an aura of power radiating from her, as well as an equal sense of oppression and tightness that threatened to choke him from its density. The girl turned, and Percy felt her silver eyes fall on them. Even as they seemed unfocused and tired, he still had a sense of opaqueness, like she could see right through them.

"My lady!" Zoë yelled, abandoning caution as she ran towards Artemis. The goddess struggled to turn under the weight of the world.

"No!" Artemis said, her voice wavering under the immense weight she was forced to carry. "Do not approach. This is a trap. Leave!" Even under extreme duress, her voice had an authoritative quality that made Percy want to turn and follow her orders. Bianca, new as she was to the whole demigod world, did spin on her heel before she stopped and turned back. For Artemis' part, even though her words carried strength, she was clearly heavily strained under the weight of the sky. For the first time in his life, Percy saw an Olympian in actual pain, Artemis' breath shaky as she trembled under the awesome weight she bore.

Regardless of her lady's words, Zoë ran forward, tears streaming from her eyes as she fell beside the goddess of the hunt's side. She held the celestial bronze chains, which tied Artemis to a massive nearby rock, futilely, unable to break the strong bonds that tied the Olympian to that spot and unable to carry the weight which bound the goddess to the top of the mountain.

"Ah, what a touching sight," a scathingly sarcastic voice rang out from behind them. Percy, Bianca, and Thalia spun around while Artemis and Zoë, tear stains on her face, turned to face the voice.

The General, complete in fine silk suit, stood at the top of the only to the summit of Othrys. Behind him was a squad of dracaena warriors, their snake-like tongues hissing quietly behind their leader as they carried the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. At his side, Luke fidgeted slightly as he looked at Thalia, with his eyes occasionally flicking to Percy. Annabeth was bound and gagged beside him, but her gray eyes still stared resolutely at Percy, seemingly telling them to run.

However, that was not an option. Not for the first time in their quest, Percy realized they were trapped. And even if they were not, the fate of the world was at stake.

"Let her go, Luke," Thalia snarled at the son of Hermes, her eyes shooting daggers at her former friend. The Castellan smiled weakly as he shook his head. He looked terrible, like he was sick and hadn't been getting much rest.

"I can't do that, Thalia. It's the General's decision. But it is good to see you again, healthy, after so long," Luke said quietly. Thalia spat at the sickly pale demigod.

Amused by the demigod banter, the General chuckled. "It seems like even the staunchest of friend can be broken apart. So much for old friendships." He turned to Zoë. "How is my little traitor? I will savor my retribution."

"Do not respond," Artemis moaned, barely conscious. "Do not attack him."

"Who is he?" Bianca whispered to Percy. Quickly turning his head, the General stared at the young Hunter of Artemis, a look of contempt on his face.

"My," he drawled, his tone turning darker, "the young ones nowadays have certainly been poorly educated. I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and the _former_ bearer of the heavens. When I am done with this wretched girl, I will kill you for your insolence."

"You're not going to hurt Bianca or Zoë," Percy resolutely said, palming Riptide in his pocket. "I won't let you."

Atlas sneered at Percy. "Stay out of family matters, little hero. You have no right to interfere."

There was a pause.

"Family?" Percy asked, frowning.

"Yes," Zoë spoke up behind him. "He is my father."

Percy's eyes widened, as did Bianca's and Thalia's. He let go of Riptide temporarily, but still kept his hand in his pocket as he flicked his eyes between the Titan and the Hunter. There was a startling and disconcerting resemblance, but where Zoë's features softened with her kindness, Atlas' hardened with his cruelty.

"Let Artemis go," Zoë demanded, her voice steady as she stood and faced her father, the terror of Olympus. Atlas walked towards the chained goddess, causing Zoë to back away slightly.

"Perhaps you would like to take her place, then? I would be open to that idea."

Before Zoë could reply, Artemis shouted, "No! I forbid you to take this burden!"

Atlas sneered again, kneeling down and caressing the pained goddess' cheek. Artemis looked at him in disgust and tried to bite his fingers off, but Atlas pulled them back and almost playfully slapped the goddess, causing her to spit out just the faintest bit of golden ichor, the blood of the gods.

"Such _fire_ ," Atlas crooned, chuckling as he stood back up. "You see, daughter," he said, turning to Zoë again, "the dignified Lady Artemis already enjoys her new position. Perhaps I will have all of the Olympians take turns here after Lord Kronos rules once more. That is, in between their other duties. That should teach these arrogant weaklings some needed humility."

Percy looked away from the Titan and towards Annabeth, who was still weakly struggling against her bonds. She looked at Percy again, and her eyes gestured something, but Percy had no idea what. As he looked at her, he realized that she looked different. Her hair was streaked with gray and there were faint wrinkles around her eyes. The stress of holding the sky, he realized.

"I don't understand," Bianca spoke out. "Why can't Artemis let go?"

Atlas laughed, a cruel, menacing sound that had no humor. "What a foolish girl. This is where the sky touches the earth, where Gaia and Ouranos brought forth the Titans. The sky must be held, or it will flatten everything around it. You cannot escape its burden once you have taken it." Atlas cruelly smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."

The Titan walked up to Percy and Thalia, eyeing them like he was sizing them up. "You two are the mightiest heroes of the age? Pathetic. The Greeks fielded far more powerful warriors than you two."

"Fight us and we'll show you," Percy spat out.

"Have you been taught nothing? It is beneath my dignity to fight you. Rather, I will have Luke do it for me."

"So you're a coward."

Atlas' eyes burned, but he said nothing as he turned to Thalia.

"It looks like Luke was wrong about you," the Titan said, looking over Thalia. "He underestimated your will."

"No!" Luke cried out from near the top of the mountain path. "There is still time." He snapped his fingers and a pool of water appeared. "Thalia! You can still join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you."

There was silence as Thalia stared at the pool of water.

"Thalia, please, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke continued. "And you will become more powerful than even the gods."

"Luke…" Thalia finally spoke up, her voice quiet and full of pain. "Why? What happened to you?"

"Don't you remember all those times we talked about the gods, about how they abandoned us? They don't deserve our support. They left us to die! They have no right to rule!"

Thalia's spear began to shake as her arm trembled. "Let go of Annabeth."

Luke shook his head again. "Only if you join us. It can be the three of us again, fighting with each other. You can be by my side again." His voice trembled. "Please… it's my last chance."

Percy wasn't sure if he was really in danger if he didn't convert Thalia here, but it sounded as if he was. And Percy was afraid that Thalia would believe so too.

"Do not agree, Thalia," Zoë solemnly said. "We must fight them."

Luke waved his hand once more, and a sacrificial flame appeared, ready to burn an offering.

"Thalia," Percy spoke up, his voice wavering. "No."

As if sensing something, the golden sarcophagus of Kronos began to glow, its light bright and piercing. Percy began to see marble and bricks fly back into place at the summit of the mountain, as if the sarcophagus was now powering the rebuilding of Mount Othrys. The palace that was being built was an imposing sight, great and dark all at once.

"We can rebuild Mount Othrys here," Luke promised, his voice strained with pain. "It will be greater and stronger than Olympus ever was. Look, Thalia. We are strong." He gestured out over the edge of the mountain, and with a lurch of his stomach, Percy realized that the _Princess Andromeda_ , docked at the beach, was offloading a veritable army, complete with dracaenae, hellhounds, harpies, half-bloods, and even more monsters that Percy did and didn't recognize. And they were all marching towards them.

"We have immense power," Luke slowly said. "Enough to take over Camp Half-Blood, and soon after that, even Olympus. All we need is your help." He extended his hand, offering her a path.

Thalia hesitated, the conflict clear in her eyes once more, as was the pain. For a single, seemingly-eternal and eternally terrible moment, her left hand slightly lifted, as if she wanted to reach out to grasp Luke's open hand. Then she closed her eyes, turned around, and gave a small smile, her lips minimally curving, at Percy as she opened her eyes. Percy felt his breath being sucked away. Her electric blue eyes, full of emotion, stared into his own, and he felt the conflict and pain melting away as they were replaced by something entirely different. He understood, and so did she. Thalia turned back around to Luke, her eyes hardening as she raised her spear at him.

"You aren't Luke. He died a long time ago. I don't know you anymore."

"Yes, you do, Thalia," Luke pleaded, his eyes widening in shock as he took in the unexpected turn of events. "Please. Don't make _him_ destroy you."

Percy pulled out Riptide. There was no time to waste, and certainly none with Luke's stalling.

"Now," Percy said. Thalia and Zoë nodded, and Bianca quickly got the hint, her eyes widening.

As one, the four moved.

Thalia charged straight at Luke, expanding her shield as she did so. That caused Luke's bodyguards to flee in terror, dropping the sarcophagus on the hard stone as they fled down the mountains. Luke, sickly as he looked, still reacted quickly, snarling as he pulled out his sword and met the daughter of Zeus in open combat.

Percy began to run towards Thalia, but an arrow flew past him, causing him to turn. Bianca, who looked stunned, had shot an arrow, and when Percy turned back, he saw Atlas grinning, the arrow in his hand, stopped a foot away from his chest.

"Foolish girl." He snapped the arrow like an oversized toothpick before striding towards the Hunter. His suit morphed into a full set of battle armor as he walked, and huge javelin fell into his hands as he approached Bianca. Percy, seeing the threat, turned and swung his sword. However, Atlas blocked it with the end of javelin, while using the butt end knock Percy into a brick wall.

With a start, Percy realized that the rebuilding of Othrys was speeding up. The buildings were becoming very much real, and they were running out of time and options. Getting back up, Percy lunged at the Titan.

"Fool!" Atlas gleefully shouted, reveling in the fight even as he dominated. "Did you think that because you could beat the puny god of war, that you could challenge me?"

At the mention of Ares, Percy felt a jolt of energy, and surged upwards. Eyeing the pool that was meant to call Bessie, he realized that if he could get there, he could augment his strength to a level that could potentially challenge the Titan.

Atlas swung his javelin, and Percy maneuvered Riptide to block, but as he did so, he felt his arm go limp, and he barely held onto his sword as his grip began to slacken. His arm felt like it was made of solid lead, and no matter what he did, he couldn't lift his sword. Percy remembered Ares words, even though they felt like an eternity ago. _When you need it most, your sword will fail you._

Percy screamed as the javelin swung into him and flung him across the summit once again. This time, he landed near Artemis as his sword skidded off the edge of the mountain, but he just lay there, his sword arm weak and heavy.

"Run, boy!" Artemis hissed. "You must run! You cannot win!"

Atlas moved towards Percy, and even as he struggled to get up, he knew that he couldn't challenge the Titan again. There was nothing he could do, with Ares' curse affecting him. At the edge of the cliff, Thalia and Luke fought like demons, lightning crackling as they exchanged heavy blows. Annabeth lay near the top of the path to the summit, still struggling to free herself, while Artemis strained under the weight of the sky. Bianca stood off to the side, her expression lost as she found herself unsure of what exactly to do.

It almost seemed like all was lost.

"Die, _hero_ ," Atlas said sarcastically, hoisting up his javelin.

"No!" Zoë screamed, and a volley of arrows suddenly sprouted from Atlas, poking through the chinks in his armor.

"Agh!" Atlas yelled as he turned around in mild pain and annoyance and hunted after his daughter. She deftly avoided him with the skill of an experienced Hunter, all the while shooting arrows at his exposed parts to anger him.

Percy felt Riptide back in his pocket, but it didn't matter. Turning to Artemis, he sudden realization of what he had to do. _The Titan's curse must one withstand_. An epiphany that he that one.

"The sky," Percy said to Artemis, the latter struggling to look up at the demigod. "Let me take it."

"No," Artemis said resolutely, her teeth clenched as she trembled. "You don't know what you are asking for. It will crush you."

"Annabeth took it!"

"Only for a short while," Artemis replied curtly, trying to save energy. "And she had the true spirit of a huntress. You will not last."

Percy glared at the Olympian. "I will die anyway. It doesn't matter if I can do it. I need to do it." Without waiting for a reply, he pulled out Riptide, uncapped it, and sliced through the chains that were only a very small portion of what held the goddess there. He kneeled beside the goddess, and with a deep breath, lifted his arms and pushed against the dark clouds that formed part of the vortex. It was an immense feeling. For a single, solitary moment, both he and Artemis held the weight of the sky. And then Artemis slid out, leaving him alone.

There was no way to describe it. The pain of carrying the sky went beyond the physical realm. Percy felt his spirits being drained and his mental coherence fracturing under the weight even as his physical muscles burned in agony. The deep sensation of pain that he felt was such that he wanted to scream, but found himself utterly bereft of any energy or will to open his mouth and do so. It was physically impossible for him to move under the weight, and the enormous pressure threatened to flatten him if he so much as weakened slightly.

"Unacceptable." The only word Percy ground out during his tenure as the bearer of heaven. A resolve filled him, the likes of which he had never felt before. He _needed_ to do this. It didn't matter that this could, and most likely would, kill him, or that it would likely take years off his life if he did escape it. The fate of the world rested on him. And he would not let it down. Even as his vision wavered and became blurry, Percy strained against all odds, keeping the sky where it was.

At the edge of the cliff, Thalia and Luke fought savagely, both aiming to do more than incapacitate. Luke backed up at the sight of Thalia's shield, and he snarled as he realized that the daughter of Zeus had the upper hand against him.

"Yield!" Thalia yelled at her former friend. "You never beat me, and you won't now!"

"We will see," Luke growled.

And their fight continued.

Artemis was a silver blur against Atlas, their fighting impossible to follow as their blows sped through the air faster than any mortal could track. For her part, Zoë had inspired Bianca to fight, and the two Hunters were shooting arrows at the Titan to help their lady as best they could.

And still, Percy struggled.

"You fight well, for a girl," Atlas taunted, causing Artemis to snarl. With a sweep of the legs, Atlas caught the goddess off guard and knocked her to the ground. He spun his javelin around and prepared to impale the downed goddess when Zoë appeared out of nowhere, yelling as she notched three arrows and loosed them at point-blank range into Atlas' forehead. The Titan yelled in pain as he lifted the javelin up and swung wildly and blindly for the Hunter, smacking her in the chest and sending her flying backwards into rocks. Then he stabbed downwards again.

Artemis reacted faster than the time it took the javelin to fall. Grabbing its shaft, she sent it flying into the stone underneath her, and using it as a lever, she kicked herself upwards and flung a punch at the Titan that sent him flying backwards.

Toward Percy.

With the last dregs of conscious thought available, Percy loosened his grip on the sky, letting it come perilously close to flattening him and the state of California. When Atlas flew into him, Percy was pushed out of the bottom of the burden, flying across the summit towards the pool and the edge of the cliff. He heard – and felt – multiple things crack, and when he landed, _everything_ hurt.

"No!" Atlas roared, struggling under the weight of the sky to no avail. He was trapped once more. Artemis sighed and trembled with fatigue, and Bianca came up to help the injured and tired goddess walk over to Zoë.

Percy moaned as he pushed himself off the ground, wheezing and coughing as he dragged himself over to the pool. With a final push, he fell into the water, feeling it wash over him. Instantly, he felt the rejuvenating powers of the liquid come over him. The various broken, fractured, and injured parts he had healed, and he felt a sudden flood of strength through his limbs that restored the burnt muscles and strained bones of his body.

From a distance, Percy saw Thalia and Luke, her spear in her hand as she stood triumphantly over Luke's fallen form. The son of Hermes was breathing heavily, and he had a profusely bleeding gash on his chest.

"Well?" Percy heard the traitor say.

Before Thalia could reply, Percy saw a dracaena, one that must have regained its wits, sneak up the stairs, stepping over Annabeth's protesting bound form. The monster held a dagger.

"Thalia, watch out!" Percy yelled as loudly as he could, and the daughter of Zeus spun around, her eyes widening when she saw the threat. She stabbed forward with her spear, but even as she did so, the dracaena's dagger slid into the flesh of Thalia's thigh, causing the demigod to cry as she stumbled and fell. Luke, taking advantage of the situation, reached for his sword. Thalia, half-kneeling, tried to blindly stab at the traitorous demigod, but Luke blocked the stab and in one motion, stabbed through Thalia's spear, breaking the shaft of the weapon, into her shoulder. There was a look of shock that flitted across Luke's face as he realized his sword had gone into her soft flesh, but it quickly disappeared. With a grunt, he followed up with a punch, sending his would-be former friend flying backwards, a dagger in her thigh and a sword in her shoulder.

Thalia didn't move.

Percy roared, the water augmenting his aura and enhancing his rage. Leaping out of the pool, Percy moved in massive strides to Luke, and dodging a haphazardly thrown punch from the wounded traitor, curved a punch at Luke. When his fist made impact, there was a sickening crunch sound and Luke spun as he was pushed backwards from the sheer force of the strengthened punch. Losing his footing, Luke screamed as he fell off the cliff.

"Luke!" Annabeth yelled, having finally undone her bonds. She stared off the side of the cliff, then recoiled at the sight of Luke's broken body on the rocks.

Percy took a single deep breath, resolving to not look at the likely end of his rival and one-time friend. Instead, he ran over to Thalia's still form, holding her head in his lap as his eyes widened.

"No, no," he muttered, anxious as he checked for signs of life. Annabeth slowly walked over, as did Zoë, who was herself injured and supported by Bianca, and Artemis.

"Please," Percy pleaded, to no one in particular, before dissolving into tears as he tightened his grip around his best friend's body. Even Artemis, famous for her hatred of men, looked despondent at the show of raw emotion.

"Annabeth!" Percy suddenly yelled, looking up with frightfully wide eyes. The daughter of Athena looked back, startled. "Nectar and ambrosia! There's some in Thalia's pack!"

Annabeth nodded, and looked around, seeing the deserted pack near the mountain path. She quickly ran over, grabbed the pack, and ran back, opening it up and pulling out various jars and cans.

"Here," she said, handing Percy a full can of nectar. The boy barely nodded before putting the can to Thalia's lips and tipping the can to let a steady flow of nectar flow.

"The whole can," Zoë whispered. "It is the only way."

Percy pulled the can back when it ran dry, throwing it away as he held Thalia in his arms. He shook slightly.

"Please."

"Please."

 _Please_.

Thalia spluttered as she heaved a massive breath. She coughed and struggled before she opened her eyes, staring right at Percy, whose tears juxtaposed his bright smile, barely able to contain himself at seeing her blue eyes again.

"Relax. You're safe," Percy whispered.

"I know," Thalia softly replied.

At the summit of the Titan stronghold of Mount Othrys, where Atlas' yells were nearly muffled by the whirling vortex, as the bricks and marble ceased to fly, and the sounds of the marching monster army were still distant, Percy finally felt at peace. At peace since the world had been saved. They had completed the quest. They had won.

"I love you," Percy blurted out. Thalia's eyes widened, as did everyone else's.

"Kelp head," she whispered before she reached around with one arm and brought him down for a kiss.

Artemis looked away, a faint smile playing on her lips. Zoë looked amused at the two. Bianca looked giddy with joy and excitement. Annabeth look shocked, her form stiffening before she breathed a few times and smiled.

Percy and Thalia didn't notice, or care about, the others' reactions.

All they noticed was each other.

* * *

The sight of twelve Olympians arrayed together made for an imposing sight, but Percy was too tired to care. He did, however, quickly pull his hand away from Thalia's, the two knowing that in no world was it a good idea to provoke Zeus' rage unprepared. He noticed that there was a hearth fire in the side of the throne room, and beside it was a tank of water that housed none other than Bessie, who swam happily once he noticed Percy. The demigod smiled at the Ophiotaurus before turning around to see Grover at the base of Zeus' throne.

"Percy! You guys made it!" He smiled when he saw Percy and Thalia. His smile widened when he saw Annabeth standing by Bianca, grew larger when he saw Bianca herself, and turned into a look of utter shock when he saw a very much alive Zoë on the other side of Bianca.

"You-you're ali…" he trailed off, lost for words. The girl smiled enigmatically.

"Indeed."

"Heroes," Artemis' said, her voice ringing out in the throne room. Already, she looked healthier, though the evidence of her ordeal were still apparent in her fatigued movements. She turned to human size and walked towards the group of six.

"The council has been informed of your deeds," she continued. "They know of Mount Othrys' rise, the attempt for freedom by Atlas, and Kronos' gathering armies. We have voted… to act." Some of the gods behind her muttered in apparent disagreement, but there was no open protest.

"At my Lord Zeus' command," Artemis said, "my brother and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to disperse them before they have a chance to join Kronos. Lady Athena will check the prisons of the other Titans to ensure that they remain secured. Lord Poseidon has full reign of the seas to destroy the ship _Princess Andromeda_ should it come across his sight. And for you, my heroes…"

She turned to the eleven other Olympians. "These heroes have done Olympus a great service. Is there any that would deny that?" Each of the gods looked at one another.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled, glaring at Percy and then Thalia. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here and we're all-"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, his tone dark and restrained. "They are worthy heroes. You will _not_ blast my son to bits."

"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled, a hint of thunder behind his voice. "She has done well." At this, Thalia blushed, looking down at the floor at such a compliment from her father. Zeus internally frowned as he saw his daughter scoot to be closer to Poseidon's son when she had already been standing close to him, but ignored it as he followed the flow of discussion.

"I am proud of my daughter as well," Athena spoke up, "but we have to acknowledge the security risk with these two."

"Mother!" Annabeth protested. "How can you-" She was silenced by a firm look from her mother.

"It is unfortunate that both my father and my uncle Poseidon have chosen to break the oath. In fact, I find it ironic that the only one who didn't was Hades. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods are… dangerous. As much of a fool Ares is, he has a point."

"Hey!" Ares protested, getting up. Thick vines, however, grew around his throne, pushing him back into his seat.

"Oh, please," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later when it is actually needed and wanted."

"You're one to talk. You hate kids," Ares growled, ripping away the vines. "Now you want to protect these brats?"

"I have no particular inclination for anything regarding them. Athena, do you think it is safest to destroy them?"

"I do not pass judgement," Athena said solemnly. "I only point out the risk. What we do is contingent upon the Council."

"I will not have them punished!" Artemis spoke up loudly. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us great deeds, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is how Olympus rewards its protectors, I will have none of it!"

"Geez, sis," Apollo said. "Calm down."

"No! I will reward them."

"Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps. But the monster must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?" Most of the heads nodded.

That shook Percy out of his reverie. "Wait, you want to destroy Bessie?" As if on cue, the Ophiotaurus mooed.

Poseidon frowned. "You named the Ophiotaurus 'Bessie'?"

"Dad," Percy pleaded, "it's just a sea creature. You can't just destroy him!"

"Percy," Poseidon began uncomfortably, "the monster's power in considerable. If the Titans were to steal it…"

"You can't," Percy insisted. He turned to Zeus, throwing caution to the wind. "Controlling prophecies like this doesn't work. Bessi- I mean the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing an innocent is wrong. It's just wrong. As wrong as… Kronos eating his children just because of something they _could_ do. It's wrong to condemn someone based on what _could_ happen!"

Zeus seemed to consider this. Then he nodded.

"They are still dangerous," Dionysus warned. "The beast is a temptation to great power."

"No." Percy looked around at the assembled gods. "Please, keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him underwater, or build him an aquarium here in Olympus. Just keep him safe."

"There is still a full year for Thalia to be tempted by Kronos," Athena evenly said. "That is a long time, and many things can change."

"No." Percy said, surprising many of the seated gods. He instinctively stood closer to Thalia. "She won't be alone in this. I will help her. So will all of her friends. We will be there for her."

Poseidon sighed. Athena stared impassively at the heroes.

"I will not allow Poseidon to gain this much power over us," Zeus suddenly spoke, his tone sharp. "I will not give him this kind of bargaining chip."

Poseidon held his hands in a placating fashion. "Fine. I will build an aquarium here for the creature with Hephaestus. We can protect the creature with our powers. The girl will not betray us. I trust my son and his friends."

Zeus slowly nodded. "All in favor?"

Apart from four abstentions, everyone else voted for the plan.

"We have a majority," Zeus boomed. "Since we will not be destroying these heroes, I imagine we will honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"

* * *

Olympian parties were an entirely different level than anything else Percy had ever seen, so once he was able to, he excused himself to the balcony overlooking New York City. At night, it was stunning, a metropolis of light in the dark. He nursed a drink and took a small sip of it before looking down and enjoying the wind on his face. His only regret was that he had to pretend that he wasn't with Thalia, which made him sad. He did understand its necessity, however, and he contented himself with quick glimpses and moments of eye contact where they both smiled at each other.

He wished he could be here, at the balcony, with her alone to enjoy the sights.

"Enjoying yourself, hero?" a sultry voice echoed from behind him. Percy turned to face Aphrodite. She was dressed for the party, and it showed. A flirty black dress and matching heels complimented her dark eyeliner and eyes, which were a rich brown.

Percy blinked. Her eyes were blue.

If Aphrodite noticed the change, she didn't comment, but rather strode over and leaned on the balcony's marble railing herself. She took a long drink from a crystal flute before tossing it over the railing, letting it fall.

"So, you saved the world and the girl," she smiled, looking at Percy.

"I'm happy Annabeth is safe," Percy evenly replied, doing his best to contain himself.

"Just happy?"

"Just happy."

Aphrodite pouted. "You have to do better than that, Percy. I saw how Annabeth looked at you today. She's _definitely_ interested."

Percy, who had turned to look at a far-off building, whipped back around. "And I'm not." He turned back, missing the dark glare that briefly passed across Aphrodite's face. She walked over to him and slung an arm around his shoulders, leaning into him.

"Don't be so stiff, Percy," she whispered, rubbing her head against his shoulder. "A lot of girls would like to be with someone like you."

Percy extricated himself from her arm. "And I'm not interested in a lot of girls." He turned to face Aphrodite head-on. "Why are you so interested in me and my love life?"

Aphrodite grinned. "Oh Percy, you have no idea. Your love life is going to be _very_ interesting. Of course, as the goddess of love, it's only natural for me to give you some advice and tips."

Percy finished his drink and put the glass cup on the marble balcony, walking a few steps away before turning.

"I would prefer you not to. I can handle it on my own. Thanks for the help." With that, he strode off.

Aphrodite maintained her picture-perfect smile for a few moments before it turned into a glare. With a swipe of her hand, she batted the cup Percy left behind off the side of the balcony, letting it fall.

"Insolent brat," she muttered under her breath. "No… insolent _brats_." First Grace had the nerve to break into her plan, and then Jackson had the audacity to refuse her plan in front of her face. The air thickened around the edge of the balcony, similar to the aura of an Olympian or Titan. However, it was not nearly as imposing as Atlas had been. If that was the presence of an immortal in full-form, this was the presence of an immortal who had no form. Unbeknownst to even Aphrodite, her eyes flashed a bright yellow before they returned to the rich brown color she had chosen for the evening.

* * *

Percy made his way back to the party, wading his way through a mixture of minor gods, satyrs, demigods, and other partygoers before he finally found the person he was looking for.

"Would you care to dance, milady?" Percy offered himself formally.

Thalia looked at him and laughed, before accepting his hand. "Of course, my good sir." They found themselves a nice slow dance part of the party. He put both hands around her waist while she put hers around his back.

"You know, this is nice," Percy commented, looking around.

"What, Olympian parties?" Thalia questioned.

"No. You." Percy leaned in and gently bumped his forehead with hers. That was as far as they were willing to go in public.

"Kelp head," Thalia whispered playfully.

"You know it," Percy grinned. The two returned to focusing on dancing.

And together they were. After a great and mighty victory, they found a second victory.

Each other.

* * *

 _ **End of Arc I**_

* * *

 **A/N: PLEASE READ**

This is the end of the first arc of the story. There will be two more arcs.

Now for the news part of this. Unfortunately, there will be no update next Monday. I hope the length of this chapter is a somewhat decent compromise. After that, however, I will have considerably more free time, and will return to the regular Monday update schedule. This chapter represents the furthest off-canon I've gone so far, and it'll only be less canon from here. I'm done with The Titan's Curse portion of this story, so I've got a lot more freedom on where I want to go with the plot now.

Remember – the next update is December 18th, 2017. 09:40 AM like always.

See you all in two weeks!


	12. A Rising Threat

_Six Months Later_

The tension knotted up in Percy's gut. He looked around. Everyone looked as still as he was, and an ominous silence filled the air.

He looked back down.

It was any minute now. Soon, it would all end, for better or for worse.

A bell rang loudly, amplified by the quietness of the space. Dozens of chairs screeched as they scraped the floor, the people that had been sitting on them for the past hour suddenly standing up. With a loud murmur, each person passed by the teacher, who stood at the door with a desk, and dropped off their tests with little care as they scrambled out of the room – all of this, much to the consternation of the teacher, whose pleas for, "please neatly leave your tests here" and "stay safe this summer" were lost in the hubbub of the crowd.

Soon enough, Percy was the last one there, standing sheepishly in front of his teacher with his test in his hand.

"Need a hand, Mr. Burns?" Percy asked, looking at the mess of test papers that littered the desk and the floor. The aforementioned teacher smiled as he rolled his eyes knowingly, before waving his hand.

"I'll be fine, Mr. Jackson," Percy's favorite teacher replied, taking the test from the fifteen-year-old's hand. "It's the same every year." With a smile, Mr. Burns looked back up at Percy. "Have a great summer, Mr. Jackson, and remember to stay safe." Percy smiled and nodded, before taking his leave.

Percy sighed as he walked through the near-deserted hallways of his school, everyone else having vacated as quickly as they could just moments earlier. There were few things that he would miss about the school, but Mr. Burns was one of them. Much like Chiron – that is, as Mr. Brunner – before him, Burns had faith in all of his students, including Percy, to improve and do well academically. Coming from a mortal that knew nothing about his origins as a son of Poseidon, Percy felt amazed by the faith of the educator. All Percy could hope for was to find an equally good teacher at Goode High School, where his mom and her new boyfriend, Paul, wanted him to go in the fall. Supposedly, it was suited to people like him.

Turning the corner, Percy pushed his way into the streets of Manhattan, reveling in the fresh summer air that blew onto his face after being cooped up indoors for the whole day. Sure, it was hot, but it was far better than a rundown, stuffy school with broken air conditioning. Around the area, some of the students that had also recently exited the school congregated in small groups, making summer plans and laughing in joy and relaxation.

Percy envied them. They were carefree and happy. Not to say that he wasn't happy, Percy mused as he walked down the sidewalk, but being carefree and relaxed was a luxury that a demigod such as himself could not afford, both now and ever. There were always a multitude of threats against him, and with the rise of the Titans becoming a surer reality every passing day, there were only newer, more threatening enemies to face in the future.

He stepped out into a larger street, looking at Central Park from across the roadway. There were already families gathered, parents with children enjoying the summer day together. Percy wistfully smiled. It was the sort of scene that, as a young child, he had always hoped to have. Unfortunately, with the God of the Sea as his father and his mother needing to date an absolutely abhorrent excuse for a human being, there was no chance in any dimension for that to happen.

The streets were filled with more than just families. Performers, be they costumed, magic, or musical, also lined the streets, accepting donations happily as they worked in the heat to entertain. Kids, no older than elementary age, ran around, laughing cheerfully as they zoomed across the grass. Couples, with people who looked no older than he did, strolled past, enjoying nature as they walked with each other.

Percy's chest tightened slightly. He missed _her_ so much…

And that tightening released itself once he remembered that he would be seeing her in less than twenty-four hours. Less than that, in fact.

It wasn't as if they hadn't been talking. They Iris Messaged every now and then, though it was not nearly as often as either of them would've liked, but it was what it was.

He crossed the street and walked by the various performers that lined the edge of the park, glancing every so often at one of them. Absentmindedly, he stretched his arms as he walked, letting his mind wander with random thoughts as he loosened for the last time before preparing to return to Camp Half-Blood.

A tight grip on Percy's arm abruptly stopped him. Turning around, he saw a golden-painted girl standing on a small box, her hand squeezed tightly around his left arm and her eyes wide.

"You- you…" she began. Percy looked at her strangely, his free hand creeping to his pocket in the worst-case scenario.

"Yes?" he cautiously replied, his free hand innocuously pulling out his pen

"The guy with the sword," she hurriedly said, stammering out the words. "At the Dam."

It finally clicked in Percy's brain.

"You're that girl," he started. She nodded. "Err… I'm sorry, I don't remember your time."

She looked miffed at his response, but loosened her grip nonetheless and stepped down from her small box before extending her hand. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

Percy took it, nodding as he recalled her saying her name, in the same fashion, at the Hoover Dam half a year earlier. He brushed off the spare glitter that made it onto his hand once she withdrew from the handshake, but stayed silent as she opened and closed her mouth multiple times.

"Who are you?" she finally blurted out, after finally deciding on something to ask.

"I'm Percy," he replied, an eyebrow raised in mirth. "I live in Manhattan."

She fell silent for a moment, her brow scrunched up as she tried to figure out how to word another question. "Alright, Percy who lives in Manhattan, what's the deal with the sword and the skeletons? I've seen some pretty weird things, but I still don't appreciate someone trying to slice me in half, or… or, well, having to talk to fricking _skeletons_."

Percy pursed his lips. "I don't want to drag you into this, but the skeletons are gone, so you don't have to worry about those." Rachel looked ready to protest, but Percy held up a hand. "All I can say is that the less-connected you are to this, the safer you are."

"I'm already in this world," Rachel slowly said. "I can see _monsters_. I see the weird of things of your world all the time. I just need someone to explain what's going on and what I can do to stay safe."

Percy looked away for a few moments before slowly nodding his acquiescence. "Fine. That's fair. Just know though, if you see anything weird, run. Monsters shouldn't go after a mortal like you out of the blue, but it's not a good idea to stay around them."

"Alright," Rachel replied, bobbing her head. She smiled and grabbed a small piece of paper and scribbled on it. "Here's my number," she said, handing the piece of paper to Percy. "I want answers, but I don't want you to feel too pressured to have to explain everything at once. Hit me up whenever you're free." She winked. Percy blinked.

"Oh shoot!" Rachel suddenly said, pushing the sleeve of her golden shirt up to reveal a digital watch. "I'm late! I'll catch you around, Percy!" Without waiting for a reply, she turned back to her little station, gathered up what little she had there, and took off down the sidewalk in a hurry.

"Okay…" Percy said to himself, before turning back. It was a strange encounter, but then again, she was a strange girl. A mortal that could see through the Mist was a rarity, after all. Rachel was only the second person, after his own mother, that could see into their world, and Percy had no inclination to drag another mortal into such a dangerous place.

Shaking his head, he pocketed the slip of paper Rachel had given him, vowing to explain some of the dangers she faced at a later date – partially because he felt like he owed her something after that clutch save at the Hoover Dam, but also to try and keep her safe. With someone like her, Percy was sure that without giving her answers, she would eventually go looking for those answers herself, and that was more dangerous than anything else.

Percy's musings took him all the way across Queensboro Bridge, and before he knew it, he was putting the key into the lock for his mother's apartment door. Before he turned to unlock the door, a flurry of murmurs, quiet and fast, passed on the other side of the doors. Percy stiffened. Someone else was in there with his mother. It couldn't be Paul, who had to still be working at Goode. There was no one else they were expecting. An unexpected guest, or an unwanted enemy?

Breathing in deeply, Percy whipped out Riptide just as he unlocked the door, almost kicking his way into the apartment with blade out.

Thalia yelped as she dropped a cup on the ground, falling backwards from the kitchen counter by the door. The cup shattered on the ground, making a mess on the floor as Percy's mother poked her head out.

"Percy?" Sally asked, concern in her face. "What's going on?"

The son of Poseidon, for his part, looked mollified, quickly capping the bronze blade back into pen form and into his pocket. Without missing a beat, he strode forward and encapsulated Thalia in a hug. Her mouth slightly ajar, Thalia's surprised expression eventually melted into relief and contentment.

The sound of a clearing throat brought them back to reality, and both Percy and Thalia turned to see Sally staring at the two, one eyebrow raised and her mouth in an amused smirk.

"Is there something I need to know about?" the woman said wryly, smiling at her son and his 'friend'. The teenaged pair awkwardly smiled back.

"Um, well," Percy stammered, unsure of exactly how to word the reveal to his mother. "Thalia is… a close friend. And…" his voice trailed off and became even quieter, "my girlfriend."

Sally Jackson beamed. "I thought as much."

Thalia's eyes widened. "You did? But you didn't say anything earlier." The older woman waved it off.

"When you get to my age, stuff like this becomes pretty obvious," Sally explained, returning to wiping a cup in the sink. "Plus, it's not like Percy gets visits from pretty girls every day, friend or not." Thalia blushed a little at the older Jackson's compliment, while Percy nervously chuckled. Sally put the cup back into a cupboard, before wiping her hands.

"Well," Sally continued, "now that you're here, Thalia can fill you in." She gestured to the daughter of Zeus, and Thalia nodded.

"Percy, we're going to need you back now."

"Wait, why? I thought I had a week at least before Chiron wanted me back."

Thalia sighed, walking over to the living room space before plopping herself down on the sofa. "I know, but things have changed. I can't explain it all to you, because Chiron's keeping it hush-hush, but you're desperately needed now. The enemy is moving."

Percy 'ahh-ed', nodding his head as he understood. "Alright, I'll get my stuff then. Give me a couple of minutes."

Sally stepped out of the kitchen and into the living space. "No need, Percy." She pointed to the side of the kitchen counter, where a backpack and duffel bag were already sitting there, packed to the brim. "I've already packed for you. Everything you'll need."

Percy smiled. "Thanks mom." He turned to Thalia. "We should go then. Can you give me a minute with my mom?"

Thalia smiled at him and nodded, thanking Sally for her hospitality on the way out before she quietly closed the apartment door behind her.

"I'm sorry, mom. Looks like we can't hang out this week," Percy said despondently. His mother went over to him and pulled him into a hug.

"Oh, baby, it's okay. I know how important you are. The Camp needs you. Olympus needs you. It would be selfish for me to ask you to stay here."

Percy snuggled deeper into his mom's embrace.

"I want you to know," Sally continued, "that I'm proud of you, and I want you to stay safe. You two look after each other, you hear me?" Percy nodded, before pulling away and sighing.

Suddenly, Sally chuckled. "Don't be such a downer. Look on the bright side; you get to spend an extra week with _Thalia_." She said the name in a sing-song voice. Percy couldn't help but smile at the thought, even though he was embarrassed to talk about it to his mom of all people.

"So how long has this been going on?"

"Um, like half a year. Since December."

Sally thoughtfully looked up. "Ohh, I see. It's been a while then." Her smile turned mischievous. "Ooh, a son of Poseidon and daughter of Zeus? You don't shy from danger, do you?"

Percy grimaced as he nodded. "I know. It's a secret."

"Who knows?"

Percy scrunched up his brow as he thought about it for moment. "Annabeth. Zoë – she's a Hunter. Bianca too, she's also a Hunter. And Artemis. I think we impressed her enough to where she's keeping our secret, though I still think she hates me."

Sally laughed, partially out of how romantic the situation was and at the absurdity of the list of people that knew about his relationship.

"Well, well, that's quite the list. And it's quite the romance. Makes Paris and Helen look tame by comparison." Her voice took on a more serious tone. "I hope you're serious about this, Percy. I raised you to be a man. If you unduly break her heart, I'm not going to be happy with you; I quite like her."

Percy hurriedly waved his hands. "I won't. I promise!"

Sally hugged him one last time. "I know you won't. You better get going. Time for you to save the world." Percy nodded, and grabbed the bags his mother had prepared. With one last good-bye, he slipped out of the apartment door. The moment the door closed, Sally's face lost its humor.

"Again," she whispered, her voice low and shaky.

"Please, Poseidon, keep our son safe."

* * *

The sun was beginning to set when they reached Camp Half-Blood. Moving through the shield generated by (not) Thalia's tree, Percy and Thalia both headed to the Big House.

When they entered, they were greeted by a large table. Off on one side, there were about ten campers, all of them being part of the older, more experienced group, sitting around and talking in low murmurs. Annabeth, who was slouched over a wide piece of paper, sat on that side as well, with Grover right beside her poring over the paper. To the other side, Chiron was speaking with Mr. D, who was nursing a small glass of grape juice and had a disinterested expression on his face. The god saw Percy and Thalia walk in before rolling his eyes and leaving.

"Ah, Percy!" Chiron exclaimed, lighting up when he saw the powerful demigod. "The man of the hour. Finally, we can get started. Please, both of you, take a seat." Percy and Thalia quickly sat down, Percy smiling at Annabeth and Grover and waving hi as he did – they both reciprocated before returning to the sheet of paper.

"Now, I am calling this council to meeting," Chiron stated, his voice becoming serious and his face losing all signs of joviality. "We are in an unprecedented crisis. Annabeth has received a prophecy. Please, if you would." He gestured to the daughter of Athena, who cleared her throat as she stood up. She began to speak:

 _You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze,_

 _The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise._

 _You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand,_

 _The Child of Athena's final stand._

 _Destroy with a hero's final breath,_

 _And lose a love to worse than death._

With that, Annabeth breathed out, shaking as she did. It was the first prophecy that had been directed to her. An immense weight, and extraordinarily so in such dangerous times.

"I fear that the danger of the situation cannot be understated," Chiron bluntly said. "Clarisse has recently completed her reconnaissance mission – it is clear: Kronos' forces are moving to use the Labyrinth. We cannot allow this. We have discovered an entrance in the Camp itself, so if the forces of the enemy were to be able to chart their way through the maze, they will be able to strike us with impunity." Several of the campers murmured in worry over this possibility.

"To this end," Chiron continued, "we will be assembling a team – a 'strike force', if you will – to enter the Labyrinth, with Annabeth as its leader. Your task will be to find Daedalus, the creator of the maze, and ensure that he does not give up the maze's secrets to the enemy. All of you assembled, minus Percy and Thalia," he gestured at the other side of the table from where he sat, "have been brought here because you have been chosen to be part of this team. You are experienced, you are skilled, and you are mature enough to understand the gravity of the task at hand."

Chiron stood up. "You must not fail." He looked at the clock. "You will head out tomorrow morning at eight. I suggest that you follow Annabeth and plan out supplies and tactics before you leave." There was a scraping of chairs as the campers stood up, following Annabeth and Grover out. Soon enough, the room was empty save for Chiron, Percy, and Thalia.

"Wait, we're not going with them?" Percy wondered out loud. "Why did you want us here, then?"

Chiron sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, seemingly looking his millennia of years, even though he was immortal.

"You two are undoubtedly the most powerful demigods in the Camp. As such, I have decided to send you both on another mission, one equally crucial but perhaps even more difficult."

Percy and Thalia both leaned in.

"You must destroy the _Princess Andromeda_."

Percy blinked. "The ship?"

"Yes," Chiron sighed. "That ship is a nexus point for the enemy's command – monsters flow in and out, and it is obvious that they are coordinating their offensives and strategies from that boat. Destroying it would delay their plans as they struggle to reorganize, and there is more." He looked straight at the two young demigods.

"Luke Castellan is alive." Percy scrunched up his brow as Thalia took on a shocked look.

"Wait, how?" Percy asked. "He, well he fell. I don't see how anyone could've survived that."

"Kronos has immense powers that made him the leader of the Titans. These include a distinct control over the flow of time. I don't presume to know everything about it, but I would hazard a guess that he quickly reversed the flow of time on Luke's body to restore him before he faded from life. Still, this means that he is an enemy you must both face. You can see why I kept this from Annabeth?"

The two demigods nodded. Annabeth had long been known to have been the most disturbed by Luke's betrayal.

"It wouldn't hurt for you two to spy on the ship for a short amount of time," Chiron mused, leaning back in his chair. "But either way, that ship must sink."

"You got it," Percy exclaimed. Thalia nodded in agreement.

"Then you may go." With that, the two demigods stood up and exited the Big House.

Chiron leaned back into his chair, weariness creeping into his body. How had it turned to this? When did he become the equivalent of a military commander that needed to send children to fight? His thoughts turned to Percy and Thalia. Those two were nearly inseparable after their quest to rescue Artemis, and he had his own suspicions why. Still, he didn't feel the need to pry deeply into their own private affairs. He could only hope that they would be stronger together because of it.

* * *

"It's been a while," Percy began. They were walking past the cabins, enjoying the cooler night air.

"Yeah," Thalia responded.

Percy breathed out deeply. "Another summer, another fight. It's never-ending, isn't it?"

Thalia nodded in agreement. "I wish we could break this cycle. I... I don't want to always have to fight to stay alive. I want to enjoy life like everyone else." She looked up at Percy. The implication was there. _With you._

"After this," Percy replied. "Maybe. Maybe after the Titans are gone, things will be more peaceful." They were silent for a moment, before Thalia burst into laughter.

"Seriously? You think things are going to be quiet, Titans or not?"

Percy cracked a grin himself. "I guess I was just daydreaming with that."

Thalia looked at Percy again, playfully punching his arm. "Well, keep daydreaming, Kelp Head. I kinda like that dream." Their eyes made contact.

"So do I."

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm sorry for the late posting. I got caught up in a lot of things and finals kind of burnt me out. I wish that were the only bad news I have, but I have more: starting January 8th, I'll be moving to a two-week update schedule.

My reasoning for this is that I've moved past the point in this story where it's just a re-write of _The Titan's Curse_. I need more time draft out chapters and make sure plot points stay consistent and all that jazz, and the extra time really helps with that. If I ever manage to get ahead in writing, I'll switch back to the one week update schedule then. I can manage one chapter a week on winter break, but when school starts back up, that'll be too tough to keep up.

That being said, I hope you all enjoyed the beginning of this new arc! Review, follow, favorite, and stay tuned for the next chapter!

Next update: **December 25** **th** **, 2017**


	13. An Unconventional Beginning

Percy quietly closed his cabin door, stiffly stepping out into the warm summer morning air. Looking around, he saw the stillness of the early morning Camp. The strawberry fields were empty of any children of Demeter. The volleyball court was bereft of any players. Even the benches and tables near the fire pit were devoid of anyone. Most did not wake early enough to be at those places yet. Those who awoke as early as Percy did had already left, bound for the Labyrinth and its tribulations.

Slowly striding through the gravel path, Percy came to a stop outside of the Big House. Without a pause, he opened the door, stepping into the building to see Chiron and Thalia, who had a leather pack and duffel bag sitting on another chair, waiting inside. The two turned to Percy when he entered, putting down their warm mugs of coffee as they smiled.

"Good morning, Percy. I trust you had a restful sleep?" Chiron greeted, pushing himself up from his kneeling position to greet his student.

Percy sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Well, just about as good as it's gonna get."

Thalia stifled a yawn. "Same."

Percy took a seat beside Thalia, accepting a mug of coffee from his centaur mentor and gingerly sipping on the hot liquid. He wasn't the biggest fan of coffee, but he needed the caffeine.

"So, now that you're both here, let me fill you in on some of the crucial mission details," Chiron started, returning to his kneeling position. "As far as we can tell, the _Princess Andromeda_ is docked in Corpus Christi. It seems that they are coming back to the East Coast and possibly preparing for an attack, but are currently stopped to recruit and gather more forces. This is our chance to strike. Our spy tells us that they will only be there until the twenty-sixth, which gives you more than three weeks to get to the ship and destroy it. Ample time in the event of an unfortunate incident."

Percy and Thalia both nodded at the explanation. It was straightforward enough – travel to Texas, find the Princess Andromeda, and destroy it before it left port.

Chiron fished out four tickets from his coat pocket. "Two of these are plane tickets from New York to Houston, and the other two will bus you to Corpus Christi. Once you are there, you will meet with the spy outside of the _USS Lexington_. They will be wearing a blue flower on their shirt."

"Wait," Percy spoke up, putting down his half-empty cup, "who is the spy? Wouldn't it be a lot easier if you described the person, or told us who it is if it's someone we know?"

Chiron shook his head. "Unfortunately, I am not even sure of the spy's gender. All I know is that they are an agent of Lady Artemis. In fact, I am not even in direct contact with the spy. There is an intermediary. You know her: Bianca di Angelo."

"Bianca? She's here?"

Chiron wistfully smiled. "Again, unfortunately not. She left just an hour ago with Annabeth's group. Both her and her brother have gone into the Labyrinth. There is no way to reach them now. As for the spy, I am told that they have been told to stand down as far as transmitting information goes, and that they are now simply waiting for you before they will assist you in destroying the _Princess Andromeda_."

He sighed once before taking a long drink of coffee. "At any rate, you two better get going. There is transportation outside to JFK airport, but there isn't much time to waste. If you are both packed, I'll give you a few minutes to check everything over and to make sure that you are both ready." Both of the demigods that sat facing Chiron nodded, and the centaur smiled, rising up and exiting the Big House.

Thalia grabbed the leather pack that was on the seat beside her and put it on the table. Unbuckling the clasps, she neatly pulled out all of items inside, categorizing them by similarity.

"What are you doing?" Percy asked, curiously looking at the girl.

"This was pre-packed by Chiron beforehand," Thalia explained, pulling out a rather large brown sack of cash. "I want to look over exactly what we have." Percy nodded, sitting back in his chair and slightly feeling that his hastily packed duffel bag filled with clothes was inadequate.

The final count was rather generous. Between Percy's hasty preparations, Chiron's carefully planned out pack, and Thalia's own bag, they had fifteen shirts, twelve pairs of pants, a nice light-blue summer dress, a box of small, pre-packaged ambrosia squares, another box filled with small bottles of nectar, two passports – one for each, and last but not least, some thirty-five hundred dollars in cash, not including the various currencies, both Greek and mortal, that Percy and Thalia had on themselves.

"That's a lot of stuff," Percy muttered, looking at the arrayed goods laid out on the table. Thalia nodded her head.

The Big House's door slid open as Chiron entered. "Are you two ready?" He paused when he saw all of the contents of their packs on the table. "Oh dear. I'm certainly not going to be re-packing all of that."

* * *

John F. Kennedy International Airport was one of the largest airports in the United States. As Percy and Thalia stepped out of their Camp van, the bustle and hustle of the crowd around them was both constant and loud, and the two grabbed their bags and got into the building as quickly as they could. The honks and screeches of the outside turned into a cacophony of voices indoors, as multitudes of people walked to and fro speaking.

"Right," Thalia said, eyes darting around. "Let's find our airline." The two set off in search of where to check in before Percy finally saw the sign that denoted their goal. As they strode towards it, Thalia suddenly stopped and placed an arm on Percy's chest.

"What?" Percy asked, confused. Thalia, eyes wide, pointed.

Ahead were a pair of police officers, talking to each other near a help kiosk as passengers walked past. Percy blinked. They both only had _one_ eye each.

"What are they?" Percy breathed out quietly.

"Arimaspi. Their tribe must've gone over to Kronos' side." They both begun to back away, but even as they did, one of the Arimaspi turned and saw them, his eye widening before he pointed and yelled at them. The other blew on his whistle loudly, scattering the yelling crowds as they took off after the two demigods.

"Crap," Percy muttered, running as fast as he could down the halls of the airport, Thalia by his side and two one-eyed monsters close behind. As he sprinted down, he saw a tour group enter a bus outside, and with a sudden jolt of inspiration, he ran to a wall and pulled a fire alarm.

The effect was immediate. Pure, unadulterated _chaos_.

The two police/Arimaspi were lost in the ensuing chaos. Hordes of people stampeded out, and grabbing Thalia's hand, Percy let them both be swept out of the airport by the flow of people. Quickly recovering, he pulled on Thalia's hand again and the two went into the tour bus. The enthusiastic tour guide didn't even bother to check their identification, telling them to sit down quickly as she continued with her presentation. Percy and Thalia slid their bags into an overhead compartment before taking a seat in an empty two-seat row.

"And with that," the tour guide flourished, "I am done! I hope you all enjoy the trip. Next stop, Myrtle Beach!" The bus door closed, and Percy felt some of his concerns ease away as the bus pulled away from the airport. Sighing, he closed his eyes and the world faded away.

* * *

When Percy woke up, Thalia was looking out of the window of their row, watching the passing green trees fade into a blur as they drove on the highway.

"Where are we?" Percy groggily asked, wiping the last remnants of sleep away.

"Somewhere in Pennsylvania," Thalia replied, turning to Percy.

Percy sat up in his chair, before turning and looking around. They were easily the youngest people on the bus. Some of the other couples were around their mid or late twenties, but most were well into their forties and fifties. As some sort of tour trip, most of the people on the bus were enjoying the beginning of their summer with a stay on the beach.

"What do we do now?" Percy asked despondently, his voice still quiet enough to carry no further than Thalia.

Thalia shrugged. "I'm not sure. We can't fly to Houston anymore, so it's up in the air what we do from here."

"Maybe we should just hitchhike our way there?"

Thalia incredulously looked at Percy. "Seriously? We've got enough money on us to get us there, but we should still decide on what method of transportation we should go for."

Percy nodded, agreeing with her. "We still have some time. We can decide after we get off this bus. For now, we should just brainstorm some ideas and keep our strength up."

* * *

"Thank you for riding with us! We'll see you all in a week!" the cheery tour guide said, before the bus door closed and the bus itself pulled away. Percy and Thalia, along with everyone else who had been in the bus, stood on the beach, but as they stood there, everyone else split and moved to a different part of the beach, intent on enjoying the cool water and fresh air in the hot summer sun.

"Let's go find the nearest bus station," Thalia spoke up, looking around. Percy, on the other hand, was distracted by the heavenly blue water that sparkled in the distance past the sand of the beach.

"Wait. Why don't we spend a little time here? I mean, we're already here," Percy countered, almost instinctively moving toward the sea. "We do have a lot of time."

"Percy, we should get back onto the road. We shouldn't stay here that long." Even as Thalia said this, her eyes stared at the refreshing water longingly. The sand looked soft, and the water looked cool.

"We can spare some time, right?" Percy asked, almost pleading.

There was a silence as Thalia gazed out to the ocean.

"Alright, sure. We can spend a few hours here."

Percy smiled. They both hurried to the public bathroom.

Out of his duffel bag, Percy pulled out a pair of nondescript black swim trunks, quickly putting them on and stuffing the rest of his clothes into his bag. After exchanging his running shoes for a pair of sandals, he exited the bathroom and waited near the building.

With the sound of an opening door, he spun around. And stopped.

Thalia had swapped into a modest two-piece blue swimsuit, and without a doubt, Percy could say she was more beautiful than Aphrodite in that moment. It was as if an angel had descended to Earth. Radiant and beautiful.

And she knew it. Thalia smirked. "You ready, Kelp Head?" She slung her pack behind her and ran to the water, Percy closely following behind. With both hands reaching down and scooping, she threw a handful of water at Percy, wetting his head. The son of Poseidon almost rolled his eyes at the irony of a daughter of Zeus trying to challenge him to a water fight, but responded in kind with a gentle wave that drenched her entirely.

Their water fight continued. Their light laughter and carefree sounds continued.

For a few hours, they could pretend that summer was all they cared about. That the world wasn't in danger. That they were just two people in love that wanted to learn more about each other.

For a few, short hours, it was just that simple.

* * *

 **A/N:** … I know, it's a short chapter. It does serve its purpose in the greater story.

There's a couple of reasons for that. First of all, I've just been busy this past week, and I haven't had much time to write. Beyond that, though, I'm feeling burnt out by the update schedule on this faster than I thought I would. I think that instead of starting the two-week update schedule on the 8th, I'll move that up to the 1st. That means that after New Years, the next chapter will be on the 15th.

Next update: **January 1st, 2018**


	14. An Immaterial Terror

The bus was dark, and throughout the vehicle, the sounds of people slumbering echoed.

Thalia sniffed a little as she slept, unconsciously pulling herself closer to Percy's warmth as she lay on his shoulder. The boy smiled before pulling out a small blanket from the backpack that sat in between his legs and softly draping it over Thalia's sleeping form. Looking back out the window, Percy's thoughts wandered as he viewed the passing greenery.

They were still well on schedule. Three days in, and they were already in Louisiana. It would take only another day to make it to Houston, and at most another after that to get to Corpus Christi, where the _Princess Andromeda_ waited. Even though they faced a nearly week-long unexpected delay after not being to just fly to Texas, there was plenty of time to carry out their mission.

What was still of concern was what they faced when they finally _reached_ their destination. There was the spy that would have to be found and met, and then – a no smaller feat – they had to infiltrate a cruise ship filled to the brink with ancient monsters, mortal mercenaries, and adversarial demigods with a bone to pick against the Olympians.

Percy leaned back into his seat, feeling the cool air of the air conditioning vent blow gently against his face as he closed his eyes. A deep exhaustion crept through his body. There was nothing to do now. They could only approach future problems when they met them…

* * *

 _Chiron suddenly grabbed Percy's shoulder just as he was about to put the last bag into the Camp van._

 _"What?" Percy asked._

 _Chiron leaned in close to Percy's face, his eyes widened and frantic._

 _"Beware!" Chiron muttered sharply, his voice low and gravelly, but his words pointed. "Beware!"_

 _"Beware what?" Percy asked, looking around. Suddenly, the Camp van and the Camp itself was gone, and the demigod and centaur stood in nothing more than the pitch black of the void. The son of Poseidon felt himself shiver as the hair on his arms stood on their ends, his goosebumps rising in the chill._

 _"Beware the demons!" Chiron boomed, suddenly pulling back and yelling upwards. "Like the potter, they will_ hunt _you!" The centaur faded away, leaving Percy alone in nothingness._

 _"Chiron!" Percy screamed, looking around frantically. There was no one – indeed, there was_ _ **nothing**_ _. Nothing but death…_

 _Percy fell._

 _And on hard rock he landed, groaning as he did. Slowly pushing himself up, Percy opened his eyes to view in horror what he had pushed himself up against. Skulls lined the ground, and when he realized that his hand fully encompassed the bony face of one, he immediately yelped and jumped back. A coldness swept over Percy, and he suddenly, and frighteningly, realized that he was not alone._

 _A figure stood in the distance, holding a skull in its hand even as it stood on a mountain of them. It was framed by a looming red sun, close enough to be threatening to engulf the earth._

 _"Dear child," the figure crooned, its voice as grating as metal upon stone. "Are you afraid?" The figure slowly and partially turned. Its face was cloaked by a black hood, and its robes were dark save for the Greek symbols etched in gold. A cloud of air blew out of its mouth, located as it were in the darkness of its hood._

 _Percy found himself stock still, heart pounding, and completely unable to move. His muscles were tensed and his head felt heavy. It was as if the gravity of the planet had doubled. His core felt weak and lethargic even as his limbs felt like lead weights. Upon him was the weight of the world, and his mind could not begin to approach what it meant to comprehend such immensity._

 _"There is no need to be," the figure spoke, its voice echoing through the barren wasteland. "For we all know what your destiny will bring."_

 _In the blink of an eye, the figure appeared inches away from Percy's face, and as much as he wanted to, the demigod was unable to scream in terror. There was nothing to see under the hood, save for the darkness._

 _"Death will not be your saving grace from us. We are the_ _ **void**_ _." It leaned in even closer, until Percy's face was nearly in the hood._

" _There is nothing that will save you from eternal torment."_

 _And then he was falling again._

* * *

Percy awoke with a start, his face coated in a sheen of sweat and his breath coming out in short, sharp pants. Beside him, Thalia stirred with his sudden movement, lazily shifting her hair out of her face before blinking.

"What's wrong?" she muttered, still groggy.

Percy stared at Thalia for a few moments, eyes unseeing, the sea green dull and unfocused. His mouth unconsciously moved, but no sounds came out. Thalia blinked a few times, before she rubbed the last hints of sleep away and her eyes widened in simultaneous fear and concern.

"Percy!" she forcefully whispered, shaking his arm with a tight grip.

The son of Poseidon snapped out of his reverie, blinking and focusing on Thalia. Still, his eyes were filled with an apprehension that she had never seen in his eyes before; the depth of it was unparalleled, and it being in the eyes of someone like Percy only scared her more.

"What's wrong?"

There was a silence as Percy visibly struggled to utter words.

"I-I saw…" his voice trailed off as his expression became more downcast, "som-"

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now pulling into the station," a voice interrupted Percy on the intercom. "Thank you for riding with us. We hope you choose Greyhound in the future, and welcome to New Orleans."

Around them, people began to rise as the bus ground to a halt and parked. As the others on the bus began gathering their bags and the bus emptied out, Percy shakily rose, and Thalia followed closely behind, both of their backpacks slung over a shoulder. When they finally got out into the open station and into the light of the late afternoon, Percy gasped a few times before breathing deeply, slowly calming down his erratic breath. Thalia looked at him with concern, but she stayed still, unsure what she should do to help, if she even _could_ help.

"I'm- I'm alright now," Percy said, looking up at the blue sky. Indeed, his voice was calmer and less shaky, though when he looked back at Thalia his eyes still had a wandering quality about them. "We should find a place to stay for the night." Thalia modded, and after handing Percy's backpack back to his outstretched hand, they set off out of the station and around the block.

Even in the light of a fading afternoon sun partially covered by storm clouds, the heat was still oppressive, and the humidity only made Thalia feel worse. Her t-shirt seemed to be perpetually damp, and her skin was slick with sweat that seemed to also stick to the air. Still, Percy and her slowly made their way across the city, looking for a small motel where they could spend the night.

As the sun began to take its final leave on the day, Thalia felt herself becoming lightheaded. Perhaps it was the stress of their mission, or the heat of the city, but either way, she felt … longing for something. A hint of nostalgia.

" _Thalia_ ," a faint cry came from a street corner. She turned. The faint glimpse of a little boy disappeared around the building, and her eyes widened. She began to slowly walk towards the corner, away from the path she and Percy had been on. The latter person curiously looked at his companion, unsure of whether he should gather himself and chase after her or wait for her to return. After a short second of deliberation, the tired demigod chose the former option, and closely followed behind his girlfriend.

" _Thalia_ ," the voice cried out again, just a little louder than the first time. The faint image of the boy was never quite within reach. Every time Thalia felt she had a chance to reach out and place a hand on him, he disappeared around another corner.

Percy watched her with growing concern. Her actions became more frenetic, her breathing more frenzied, her eye movement more frantic. She was lost searching for something, and Percy had no idea what it could be.

"Thalia?" he cautiously asked, his right hand instinctively crawling towards his pocket. "What's going on?"

She turned around, her eyes wide with longing. "It's him," she cried. "He's here!" Without waiting for a response, she ran off. Cursing quietly, Percy ran off after her, his hand grasping onto his pen as he ran. They came to a stop in front of a rickety old wooden building, near the outskirts of the inner city. It was a rundown neighborhood, and the building in front of them was no exception. A faded sign sat above the rickety old door, and without a care in the world, Thalia pushed open the half-broken entrance and disappeared into the darkness inside. With a gulp and a stomach full of fear and hesitation, Percy followed.

It was dark and musty inside the building, as one would expect from a dilapidated, abandoned building. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, he used the few beams of light that crept through the cracks in the ceiling to find a path. A sense of foreboding crept up Percy's neck, and the soft creaks of the wood floor enhanced an aura of eeriness that permeated the entire structure.

"Thalia?" Percy called out, spinning around to try and catch a glimpse of her. There was nothing but a faint giggling from one of the back rooms. Slowly walking forward, Percy ignored the creaking wood as he entered a darkened room. In front of him stood Thalia. She faced away from him, but there was an ethereal blue glow that brushed past the outline of her figure.

"What's going on?" Percy asked, his goosebumps rising at the not-normal-and-probably-dangerous-sight. Placing a firm grip on one of her shoulders, he leaned over to see what had enthralled Thalia's mind.

A young boy stood there, outlined in a blue glow. His short hair was blond, and he wore shorts and a t-shirt. Notably, even with the blue glow that emanated from his body, the boy's eyes stood out. They were an intense blue, like Thalia's, but unlike her darker electric blue, his were a bright sky blue.

Percy looked back over to Thalia. Her expression was _strange_. Her mouth was curved upwards slightly in a desperate smile, while her eyes held the very beginning of tears. It seemed as though she were stuck between a state of happiness and longing.

"Jason," she whispered. Percy looked over to the demigod.

"What?"

Without looking away, Thalia spoke. "My brother. He died… but he didn't die. I always knew it. He's here, now. He's found me again!" She slowly walked towards the glowing boy, but with eyes widened in panic, Percy grabbed hold of both of her shoulders to keep her back.

"No, Thalia!" he yelled, fighting her struggles as she tried to reach forward to her 'brother'. "I don't know what this is, but it isn't your brother! It isn't human!" She writhed under his grip, but he was too strong for her to break out of. Still, she fought, never looking away from the apparition.

"What are you?" Percy screamed at the figure, who still held a small smile on his face. The smile grew as the two demigods struggled with each other, growing sinister in ways that did not fit a young boy's face.

"Perseus Jackson," the figure whispered, its voice low and raspy. The image of Jason Grace spasmed for a second as it morphed. Percy watched in horror as the figure's height grew, its hair lengthening until the liquid-like skin of the creature produced the features of Sally Jackson. Complete in a blue apron, Percy's 'mother' smiled at him, and his grip on Thalia's shoulders slackened as he stared at the figure. Throughout the whole process, the blue glow never left.

"Uhh," Thalia moaned, her writhing coming to a halt as she felt Percy's hands fall off her shoulders. Her head ached, but it was clear like a fog that had just dissipated. Blinking a few times, she regained focus as she stared at the form of Sally Jackson, her eyes widening in horror as she realized what had happened.

"Eidolon," she muttered under her breath, before quickly looking at Percy.

"Percy," she yelled, grabbing both sides of his head and staring directly into his unseeing eyes, "snap out of it! Come back!"

He heard nothing.

* * *

 _In front of him, there was no one but his mother. Darkness covered both of them, yet a thin strip of light showed the wooden floor between them. In the thrall of the dark, his mother was a beacon of beautiful blue light. In the far reaches of the shadow, a voice echoed a cackled._

 _"Ah, I see. I went for the wrong demigod indeed. Yes, you are more what I need than Thalia Grace. You are perfect. So many layers; desires, hopes, fears – all laid out to bare for_ _ **me**_ _."_

 _Percy heard nothing._

 _"Mom," Percy exclaimed, a smile growing on his face as he fell to his knees in happiness. "You're here."_

 _"Of course, Percy," his 'mother' replied, walking over and kneeling in front of him. One hand reached up to cup his face, and when their skin met, Percy felt an icy cold on his cheek. He ignored it._

 _"But you have disappointed me," the figure suddenly added, standing up again._

 _Percy whimpered as she pulled back. "What?"_

" _You have left me defenseless in this dangerous world. All of the enemies you have made, they won't hesitate to strike at me, to attack me to get to you. Why did you leave me?"_

 _"I'm- I'm sorry, mom," Percy stuttered out, his eyes tearing up at the angry expression his mom faced him with. "I'm sorry for putting you in harm's way. It's my fault."_

 _Within a blink of the eye, the figure was back to kneeling in front of Percy, this time cupping his face with both hands. "Shh, my dear boy, it's alright. Mother forgives you."_

 _Percy looked up, his tears rolling down his cheeks and flowing onto the figure's hands even as he gave a hopeful look._

 _"Really?"_

 _The figure smiled. "Yes, my dear. I just need one thing from you… one thing."_

 _The figure paused._

" _I need you to be my champion. To defend me for eternity. Will you do that for mother?"_

 _Before Percy could reply, a scream echoed out in the void._

"Percy!"

" _What is that…" Percy whispered, looking up at the figure._

" _It is nothing," the voice soothed, looking around the darkness to pinpoint the intruder._

"Don't give in! This isn't real!"

" _Mom?" Percy questioned, his forehead scrunching in confusion._

 _The figure quickly looked down at Percy._

"Percy, listen to me! This is fake!"

" _Don't worry, Percy. Just stay by my side."_

"Don't trust it!"

" _Trust my words."_

"Trust me!"

* * *

Percy grabbed his head, eyes squeezed shut from the agony he was experiencing. After a few seconds of painful throbbing, he slowly opened his eyes.

In front of him stood the blue-glowing figure, still in the same place as it had been when he had first entered the room to find Thalia. However, it was now on the ground, both arms wrapped around its head as it writhed on the floor.

Slowly turning his head to the side, he found Thalia staring right at him, her face inches from his own. He was kneeling on the ground, and she was partially hunched over, one hand on his shoulder and the other on his face.

"What happened?" Percy shakily asked, his voice unsteady and quiet. He forced himself to look at the glowing figure. To an extent, it resembled his mom, but the unnatural aspect of the figure turned any meaningful resemblance into something twisted.

"It's an Eidolon," Thalia whispered. The hand on Percy's cheek slipped away. "It was my fault. I was dumb enough to fall for such an obvious trap."

"Eidolon?"

"It's a spirit that can read minds and take whatever form it wants. It lured me in… with my brother." She paused. "He… died a long time ago."

Percy solemnly nodded, rising up as he regained his balance. He pointed to the figure still on the ground. "What do we do about this?"

Thalia clenched her jaw. The only sound that was made in response to Percy's question was the metallic grinding of her spear as expanded from its mace canister form. Percy nodded, and within seconds both demigods had their respective celestial bronze weapons at the ready.

The figure groaned, its arms still wrapped around its head.

As Percy and Thalia both cautiously moved forward, the figure inhaled deeply.

"Do you really think this is the answer?" the figure rasped out, its voice low and weak.

As it unwrapped its arms and looked up at the demigods, both Percy and Thalia recoiled in shock and disgust. The figure no longer looked like Sally Jackson or even Jason Grace. It was a mixture of features, seemingly melted together, that existed on the figure's face, making for a grotesque image. It smiled as it saw the look of revolt on both demigods' faces.

"I understand now. I approached this from the wrong way. Your minds are too strong be tricked by images. I'll just have to subdue them altogether."

"Yes…" it continued, crooning as it rose up to standing position. "Yes… this will do nicely. I won't just settle for one of you. Why, when I can have both?"

With a yell, Thalia charged forward, her shield and spear ready for battle. Percy was right beside her.

The figure's eyes expanded, and suddenly time itself was lost.

The only sounds were the clattering of metal weapons on the wooden floor.

* * *

 _A dream state._

 _Percy opened his eyes._

 _He was standing in the living room of his mother's apartment in Manhattan. He blinked. Why was he here? Didn't he have somewhere else to be? Something else to do?_

 _"Oh, Percy, why are you still standing there?" his mother's voice echoed out. He turned. Sally smiled at her son from over the countertop of the kitchen. "Come help me set the table."_

 _Slowly nodding, Percy entered the kitchen of the apartment, grabbing utensils and plates for the table. He looked around the kitchen, seeing a tremendous amount of delicious-looking prepared dishes, still hot and fresh._

 _"What's going on?" Percy asked, unsure of what was happening._

 _"Perseus Jackson. How could you forget?" Sally teased, still finishing the mixture for one of the sauces. "It's your birthday. Everyone's coming to celebrate."_

 _Percy 'ohh-ed' at the statement, and started carrying the utensils and plates over to the dining table. There were six chairs at the table already, so Percy set out six sets of utensils and plates, putting the rest back. His mother already began coming out with some of dishes of food, laying them out. After helping with that, Percy marveled at how much food there was._

 _"Wow, this looks really good. Thanks mom," Percy said, smiling. His mother laughed a little and waved it off._

 _The doorbell rang, and Percy quickly slid over to open the door. It swung open to reveal a smiling Paul, as well as a few others behind him._

 _"Hey there, kiddo," Paul affably said, placing a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Happy birthday. Got off work early today, but it seems like I've bumped into all of our guests as well." He pointed to the group standing behind him. Paul walked past, revealing the guests that had been invited._

 _"Dad?" Percy said, eyes wide. Poseidon smiled, placing a hand just like Paul did on Percy's shoulder._

 _"Of course, Percy," the sea god replied. "Why wouldn't I come to my son's birthday?"_

 _Like Paul, Poseidon moved past. Behind him stood two of Percy's best friends._

 _"Grover, Annabeth!" Percy exclaimed in delight. "Glad you guys could make it!"_

 _"Ah, would never miss it," Grover replied, smiling and moving past Percy. Behind him, Annabeth also smiled._

 _"Well, seaweed brain, happy birthday! Looks like you're on your way to adulthood."_

 _Percy laughed, leading Annabeth into the apartment. She walked past him into the kitchen. Percy looked back to the open door for a few seconds, staring at the empty space with a sense of longing. Shaking his head, he closed the door and headed towards the dinner table._

 _The food was delicious. Everyone sitting around the table – Percy, Sally, Paul, Poseidon, Grover, and Annabeth – enjoyed the food as they laughed at Poseidon's jokes and engaged one another in conversation._

 _Percy was happy. He was with his family – with his adopted father or biological father, both fathers that he liked – and friends. There was good food and peace – the stuff of legends. Even so, there was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. There was something missing._

 _There was someone missing._

 _Percy squinted his eyes as he looked around the table. Who was it? What was that feeling that tugged at his heart and gnawed at his mind? What was he forgetting?_

 _The sound of the outside world turned to silence._

 _He breathed._

 _"Thalia."_

 _Everyone at the dinner table stopped eating and talking, and five sets of eyes turned on Percy._

 _"Where is Thalia?" Percy asked, standing up._

 _"Percy," Sally started uncomfortably, but Percy quickly continued._

 _"Where is she? Why wasn't she invited?"_

 _No one replied._

 _Percy shook his head and left the dinner table, returning to the living room. There were a multitude of thoughts running through his head. What was going on? Why wasn't she here? Sally knew what Thalia meant to him, so why wasn't she invited?_

 _He groaned as he put a hand on his forehead. There was more. Something he was forgetting. Thalia and he… they had been in danger. There was something. A building. Darkness. There had been an enemy. A monster._

 _"Eidolon," Percy muttered, coming to a realization. As he did, the world faded away, crumbling into pieces as it disappeared into the same nothingness it had come from. It wasn't real. It had never been real._

 _He stood in darkness now. But there was something. A glimpse of light. He waded his way through the void towards it. It grew brighter and stronger until it overwhelmed his vision and encompassed everything he saw._

* * *

 _Percy opened his eyes._

 _He was in a small house. It was warm and cozy, and just a few meters from him, three figures sat a small table, eating._

 _Percy walked over to them. The first was a woman around his own mother's age, but he did not recognize her. She had an interesting poofy blonde hairstyle, but even as he walked by the table, she did not react to his presence. The second person was a blond male around Percy's own age, but like the woman, he did not acknowledge Percy._

 _The third person caused Percy to freeze._

 _"Thalia," he said, looking at the one he loved sitting at the table. She paused while lifting her spoon to her mouth, but promptly continued._

 _"Thalia," Percy said again, moving over and taking hold of one of her shoulders. She turned around, blank eyes staring at him._

 _"Who are you?"_

 _Percy felt his breath be stolen from him, but he shook his head, refusing to give in to the Eidolon's manipulations._

 _"It's me, Percy. Thalia, I need you to remember." A flicker of understanding went through her blue eyes._

 _"We're in danger. This isn't real. Please, I need you to trust in me like I did in you. You got me out of here once; I'll do it for both of us this time." He reached down and drew her into a hug, trying – hoping – to convey what he could not through brief words._

 _She didn't respond. He could feel her breaths on his neck, but she was silent._

 _Percy's heart froze. Seconds passed._

 _"Percy," Thalia whispered into his ear, before she nuzzled her head against his shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief and joy._

 _The world fell away once more._

 _But this time, they were together._

* * *

Percy opened his eyes, ignoring the dull throb in his head. The Eidolon was still standing there, though now, its hideous face was contorted in a snarl. Beside Percy, Thalia also came to her senses, looking at the monster with a degree of fury.

Their weapons were still on the ground, some feet behind them, but Percy ignored that. Instead, he reached out a hand and willed his powers to manifest. A small deluge of water drenched the Eidolon, forcing it to the ground even as it cried in pain.

"How?" it shrieked, anger and confusion in its voice. "How did you both break free?"

Thalia didn't bother to verbally reply. Reaching out her own hand, she closed her eyes as thunder rumbled outside. With a flash of light and a loud blast, the Eidolon disappeared with a scream, a black scorch mark on the wooden floor being the only reminder that it was ever there. Moonlight crept through the hole that was cleanly blown through the roof.

"Because you didn't anticipate something," Percy whispered, as much to himself as to the destroyed Eidolon. "You thought that because you could ensnare each of us individually you could do the same for us both."

"But you can't separate us," Thalia continued, staring at the scorch mark where the Eidolon had stood. She looked at Percy with a smile, who returned one of his own.

The moonlight fell on them.

"We should probably find a place to stay, kelp head," Thalia whispered, as they hugged each other.

"Probably," Percy admitted, but he still leaned in for a kiss instead. As did she.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well… hello. I'm sorry for the super late update, but a lot of things happened that hindered me from writing and getting this chapter out. I hope you all enjoyed it. The next chapter should be out in two weeks, though depending on how things go this semester, that may be moved to three weeks.

All three arcs of this story were supposed to be roughly the same length – about 11 or so chapters apiece and a total of a hundred thousand or so words. However, after thinking about the development of the plot more, I've realized that this will need more than that. The second arc may be the longest, and I think that when all is said and done, this story will probably be a fair amount longer than my original estimate. Why am I talking about this? Well, this is kind of to lay out some scheduling so you know how long this story will take to be complete. I hope to finish it this year, but it's possible I may not.

Another thing I want to add is that I will be revising the first few chapters of this story. At one point, this story was going to be more a series of one-shots than an actual story, but at some point, I changed the style to being a proper multi-chapter story. As such, I will be revamping those first few chapters to fit. When this chapter is posted, the first chapter will also have some revisions. This will be an ongoing process, and I will also possibly revisit one chapter more than once.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling. Please favorite, follow, and review, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	15. An Unexpected Ally

Percy smiled as he looked out to the Gulf of Mexico, enjoying the warm summer breeze wash over his face. Both he and Thalia had just made it to Corpus Christi; the rest of the trip after their fight with the eidolon in New Orleans had been fairly uneventful, and now they were ready to rendezvous with their informant with plenty of time to spare. Beside him, Thalia lounged on the railing, staring out to the horizon with a soft smile on her face as her summer dress fluttered. He readjusted his sunglasses.

They were, of course, going 'incognito' – a flowery dress and sun hat for Thalia, and a pair of khaki shorts and sunglasses for Percy, in case someone on the _Princess Andromeda_ , like Luke, was on shore and saw them. They were just a few blocks down from the _USS Lexington_ , and given that they gone through a trying tribulation on their journey, both were content to relax for a few moments before carrying on with their task.

Percy checked his digital watch – _4:35 PM_. "It's getting somewhat late," he spoke up. "Should we go?"

Thalia pursed her lips slightly as she looked out to the sea.

"I suppose so," she finally said, pulling back from the metal railing and joining Percy, hand in hand. For their act, they were playing the part of a couple sight-seeing, which, Percy thought as he walked down the sidewalk with Thalia's hand in his, was not all too far from the truth. Certainly, their main reason for being down in Corpus Christi, Texas was not to sight-see, but they were a couple, and now they were walking to a local sight.

The summer sun still shone highly and brightly as they neared the old warship, and like many others walking past them, the two demigods basked in the southern summer warmth, moderated by a cool breeze. There was a small crowd of people gathered at the base of the aircraft carrier, waiting in a tour group to board the vessel and explore it. Percy and Thalia discreetly inserted themselves into the crowd.

"The blue flower," Percy whispered, looking around. "Do you see it?" They nudged around a little.

"Yes!" Thalia sharply whispered, patting Percy on the shoulder. She pointed. He saw a discreet-looking figure, half-turned, wearing a cap and a white cardigan that had a small blue flower pinned to its right side. The two moved through the crowd, intent on reaching the figure, and when they finally burst out of the crowd, the figure had both hands on the railing, looking at the hull of the _USS Lexington_.

"Um," Percy started, unsure of how to address the figure, "hi."

The figure turned around, long black hair spilling out of the cap as she pulled it off.

There was a brief silence.

"Hello, my friends," Zoë Nightshade said, smiling.

* * *

Percy and Thalia quietly sipped on their iced coffees, while Zoë just sat cross-legged, a small smile playing on her lips as she looked at the two surprised demigods. They sat under the shade of an outside table, watching the traffic and groups of people go by.

Finally, Thalia put down her coffee. "So you're the informant that Artemis sent?"

Zoë nodded. "Indeed. Lady Artemis has tasked me with this duty since the end of the Atlas incident. I have been stationed here for months, building my position on the ship in order to prepare for the arrival of friendly demigods that I could safely escort onboard." She paused to take a sip of her own iced coffee. "I was delighted to learn from Chiron that it was you two that were assigned to this task."

Percy nodded. "Well, that makes sense. I was just surprised that the Artemis would send her Lieutenant to do this kind of task."

Zoë froze at that statement, and she quickly turned away, looking to the street.

"I am no longer my Lady's Lieutenant," she said, her voice shakier than it had been. "In fact, I am no longer a Hunter."

"What?" Thalia exclaimed, her eyes wide. "How could Artemis do that to you?"

"Do not besmirch my Lady," Zoë quickly replied. "It was not her fault. There was no choice."

* * *

 _6 Months Earlier_

 _"Store these documents for me," Artemis said, still writing on a piece of parchment. They all stood in a tent fit for a king – or in this case, a goddess. The floors were clothed with fine animal furs, and dim burning candles lit the tent. Artemis herself sat at a large wooden desk. The Hunter nodded, backing out of the tent as she held onto a stack of papers. The tent flap closed behind the Hunter, leaving just Artemis and Zoë in the luxurious tent._

 _Artemis sighed, putting her pen down as she rested her head on her intertwined hands, her shining silver eyes piercing into Zoë's soul. The Lieutenant of Artemis fidgeted nervously in place, her eyes downcast as she tried to keep a straight back with her hands grasped behind her back._

 _"Come now, Zoë. We should not delude ourselves any further," Artemis spoke, standing up as she did so. "We must face reality."_

 _Zoë slowly nodded, even as she still avoided her Lady's gaze. Artemis began circling around the Hunter._

 _"Are you sure that you have lost my Blessing?"_

 _"… Yes, my Lady."_

 _Artemis stopped circling, breathing out slowly. "I did not think the wording would be so… literal. Fall in battle, indeed." She turned her head to face her Lieutenant. "You know what this means, Zoë."_

 _"Yes, my Lady," Zoë said, her voice wavering and her eyes watering. "I must resign my position as your Lieutenant, and as a Hunter of Artemis. I am no longer fit to fulfill those roles."_

 _Artemis' face looked ashen, but she still nodded. "I know. And I cannot bend these rules, even for a single instance. Still," she continued, revolving around her desk, "I may yet have things for you to do, even outside the capacity of a Hunter." Zoë looked up at this._

 _The Goddess of the Hunt held up a piece of paper, reading it under the dim candle light. "Chiron requires a spy." The goddess looked up. "I daresay a spy need not be a Hunter. Wouldn't you, Zoë?"_

* * *

"It seems that the prophecy was correct. Without my immortality, I have been perished by my father's hand – however, it will be a long and bitter ending. Not quite what any of us expected from that prophecy," Zoë muttered mirthlessly. "I have come to terms with it over the past few months, but it will still be a painful experience. After all, I never expected to die after two-thousand years of life."

"But enough of this from me," Zoë suddenly said, collecting her cup and napkin. "We should get going. After all, time waits for no one, and especially not us." Percy and Thalia nodded, standing up as well. After throwing away their trash, they followed Zoë to the street, where she turned to look at them.

"I have prepared armor for the two of you. While most onboard the _Princess Andromeda_ will not recognize either of you, it is not safe to walk around without a disguise. The possibility remains that someone that will recognize you may see you." The two demigods nodded in agreement, and with a turn, she led them to a small car, parked beside the pier. Quickly looking around to ensure that no bystanders could see anything, Zoë opened the trunk of her car, stepping aside to let Percy and Thalia peer inside.

Two sets of armor, complete with face-covering helmets and swords, sat disassembled in the trunk of the car. Both sets of armor were in well-worn condition, scratches and what appeared to, from Percy's perspective, be stained blood littering the metal surface. One set was somewhat larger than the other. Percy hoisted the helmet of the larger set out of the trunk, staring at its face before looking back to Zoë.

"What's this for?" he asked, gesturing at the oppressive-looking armor that could have passed as _Lord of the Rings_ cosplay.

"Armor," Zoë replied, her tone short and brief. "You'll need it to get past the guards on the _Princess Andromeda_ , and to blend in without suspicion. There are many other demigods that have defected to the Titans' side that wear similar armor."

Percy's stomach felt a little queasy at that, especially when he rubbed his thumb on a blood stain, which was still moist. Beside him, Thalia looked down at the concrete floor of the parking lot, her expression somewhere between resolve and prayer for the fallen, enemies or not.

"Zoë…" Percy started, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Do not lecture me, Perseus," Zoë spoke softly, her voice quiet but steady. "They were assigned to be my guard today. I was unsure of how to take their armor, but my mind was made when I found them torturing a naiad.

* * *

 _Earlier That Day_

 _Zoë's eyes widened as she heard the yelps of pain from further down the alleyway. As she came to a stop, she saw the form of one of her guards standing, while the other was on the ground, his scabbard held in his hand like a baton. Both of their helmets lay abandoned by the wall._

 _"Stop struggling," the guard on the ground murmured as his form hovered over the squirming figure. There was the soft sound of metal clinging as the guard fumbled with something. "It'll be easier for you too."_

 _"Damn, Herod," the other guard laughed, "just do it already. We don't have all day."_

 _"What is going on here?" Zoë yelled, her voice carrying down the alleyway. The yelps turned into quiet whimpers as the guard kneeling on the ground quickly stopped and stood up to her right, holding the scabbard in one hand behind his back, with the other gripping his pants, as both guards flashed hurried smiles._

 _"Nothing, captain. Just a miscreant that tried to pickpocket us," the demigod guard on her left smoothly explained, a hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Zoë's eyes narrowed, and she, almost imperceptibly, leaned to the side, viewing the scene past the standing guards' imposing forms._

 _Her hands began shaking as she viewed the deplorable scene in front of her. The naiad on the ground was softly crying, her skin scratched and bloodied. Her hair was a matted mess, and her clothes – simple garments to protect her modesty – were torn. Zoë's rage reached a fever pitch as she eyed the right guard's belt, the buckle of which was loose._

 _Seeing only red, she slowly walked forward, a stoic expression etched into her face even as the guards still continued their charade. With a swift motion, she drew a dagger and sliced opened the left guard's throat, not caring as his face contorted in pain and surprise even as he clasped both hands to his fatal gash in a futile attempt to stop the life from leaving his body. Even as he fell to the ground, his blood spraying onto the concrete ground, Zoë, and the other guard, she continued walking forward._

 _The other guard, now with a panicked look, backed away, his efforts to pick up his sword, which lay on the ground, hindered by the loose pants. As Zoë neared him, he waved his scabbard at her. Zoë quickly knocked it out of his hands as she advanced. He tumbled to the ground as he tripped on the hem of his pants, falling to the ground. Struggling to crawl away, he was stopped as Zoë kicked him in the face._

 _She lowered herself to straddle his torso, deftly pulling out an arrow from the quiver on her back as she did so. Turning his face to see hers, she took in the sight of his broken and bloody nose even as he whimpered in fear and pain, his tears mixed with blood and mucus._

 _"W-why?" he asked, confused and terrified._

 _She gave no response as she slammed the arrow into his right shoulder. With her other hand, she stuffed a piece of cloth into his mouth, muffling his screams. Within a blink of the eye, she pulled the arrow out and skewered his other shoulder, rendering both arms useless and ruined._

 _"Pl-please… I beg of you," the guard pleaded. "I'll do anything."_

 _"Was that an option you gave her," Zoë asked, her voice hard as diamond as she nodded toward the naiad, who lay fearfully on the ground looking at the scene. The guard paled._

 _"I only require one thing of you," Zoë whispered into his ear as she leaned down, her breath hot as her lips came close to his face. "Your life."_

 _She plunged the arrow into his throat, feeling the concrete pavement on the metal arrowhead as the guard coughed and choked on his own blood. His chest heaved for air once, then twice, and then with a last bloody gasp, fell silent. His eyes, open, knew no more._

 _Zoë picked herself off the dead guard's body, brushing off the dust and dirt even though blood stains abounded on her armor. She turned to the naiad, sighing as she took one of the guard's cloaks to wrap around the scared water spirit._

 _"Go. Return to your water, but speak of this to no one," Zoë sternly ordered. The naiad quickly nodded, running off down the alley. She stopped a few paces away, turning as she bowed._

 _"Thank you," the naiad said, her lyrical voice slightly hoarse, and then she was gone._

 _Zoë looked back to the bloody bodies that greeted her on the concrete ground. Closing her eyes, and sighing, she began to strip both bodies of their armor._

* * *

"There was nothing lost from the deaths of those two despicable people," Zoë said, her voice heavy with emotion. "Especially not now, in a war such as this. Whether they had died in a dark alley or a battle, by my hand or yours, does not matter."

Percy grimaced at the thought, but slowly, he slid on the helmet, obscuring his expression.

* * *

"Now," Zoë whispered, "you must act naturally. You two are far from the only demigods to join Kronos' cause, so that will not be a factor in this. Rather, you must learn to ignore many of the things that happen onboard. If you act like the people you two truly are, you will be found out and I will not be able to save you."

"Fly casual," Thalia murmured under her own breath. Percy glanced at her but didn't say anything as the three ascended the plank that would lead them into the _Princess Andromeda_. After unlocking and opening the side-hatch, Zoë stepped aside and let the two young demigods step through, taking extra care to not snag the horns of their helmets on the short clearance of the entryway.

Inside, it was dark and warm – the underbelly of the ship that Percy didn't see on his first "visit". The walls were exposed with wiring and piping, and there was another hatch near the end of the corridor. However, Percy wasn't looking at those parts of the ship.

Rather, he was looking at the two Scythian dracanae, similar to the snake-women he had seen nearly two years prior. They weren't particularly imposing or frightening – in fact, one of them held a clipboard while pushing up her glasses, which made her look more like a librarian than a monster – but it meant that this was to be the first test for Percy and Thalia, to see whether or not they could pass as demigods in Kronos' Titan Army and succeed in their infiltration of the enemy base.

Percy swallowed as quietly as he could and began to slowly walk forward, as did Thalia. Zoë, in front of them, came to a stop in front of the small wooden booth that the dracanae stood behind.

"Ah, Aerisss," the dracaena with the clipboard hissed, looking down at her list, "and your two guardsss, Fenrir and …" she looked down the list, "Fangorn. Welcome back." The other dracaena nodded and motioned for the group of three to follow them, while the first dracaena put down the clipboard and picked up her book, which Percy eyed to be titled " _Sensual and Seductive Scales: How to maintain them_ ".

The second dracaena stopped at the hatch, and out of a pouch slung over her shoulder, she pulled out a ring of keys. Picking at the keys, during which she sometimes muttered "no" or "I really need to get rid of this one", she finally found the one she was searching for, and placed it into the keyhole.

Thalia sighed, but even as she did, the dracaena quickly looked up, her nose – or, considering her snake-like features, lack thereof – sniffing. Her eyes widened as she did so. Percy stiffened. Thalia held her breath. Zoë's hand crept toward her dagger.

"Sssally!" the dracaena finally yelled, causing the one back at the wooden booth to yelp and drop her book. "Did you eat that burrito today?"

The dracaena looked back at the "librarian" dracaena, who somehow, imposing ancient Greek monster she was, had the ability to look sheepish from behind her wooden booth.

"Sssorry, Sssarah," the "librarian" dracaena whispered. "I was very hungry thisss morning."

The dracaena at the front rolled her eyes, before unlocking the hatch and swinging it open. Zoë stepped forward, as did the two demigods behind her, and the hatch swung closed. Still, Percy could hear the dracaena that had unlocked the hatch for them admonishing the other.

The corridor they were in led to a flight of stairs which had a closed door at the dracaena. Zoë led them to the top of stairs before stopping and turning around.

"Remember what you are here for. Do not jeopardize our mission for anything," the former Hunter whispered. Thalia and Percy nodded, and Zoë swung the door open. They all stepped out.

Percy stared at the sheer number of monsters that greeted his eyes, from telekhines to dracaena to even the occasional drakon. Intermixed with them were a number of demigods, most of them wearing armor and baring scars. There were also other humans, some that looked like ancient soldiers wielding spears and others that looked like modern mercenaries holding rifles. A number of groups streamed to and fro, oftentimes carrying some mechanism or another item as couriers of some sort. It all seemed more organized and – more importantly – considerably larger than Percy remembered it being.

"There's so many…" Thalia whispered, spelling out what they had both been thinking out loud.

"Kronos' army," Zoë nodded, her voice also low. "This could be the harbinger of doom for our way of life."

She looked wistfully at her companions.

"We are in a brave new world, that has such monsters in it. Prepare yourselves, and let us not dither."

* * *

 **A/N:** School has been busy for the last few months, so I apologize for such a belated update. At any rate, Spring break has given me a lot of time to rest and recover as well as write, so I have already gotten a good start on the chapter after this one. In addition, I have not forgotten about revising my earlier chapter, so barring any delays, the second chapter should receive a hefty revision to its structure when this chapter is posted.

I have question: do you all like Monday morning (9:50 AM EST) updates, or would you prefer a different day and/or time? Let me know.

Don't forget to review, follow, favorite, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	16. A Treacherous World

The armored figure slipped into the small room, quietly closing the door. After taking a deep sigh, the figure slipped off their helmet, revealing a weary female face, her blue eyes framed by sweaty black locks. Tossing the helmet to the side, she moved to the solitary bed in the room, looking at its current occupant. For a few seconds, she stood there beside his head, watching his chest rise and fall with his breath, his expression free of the worries that faced them in waking life.

Still, it had to end, as all good dreams did.

"Percy," Thalia whispered, gently shaking his shoulder. With a snap, he shot up to a sitting position, his eyes wide and alert. Seeing that it was only the armored Thalia that was in the room, he slowly breathed out and unclenched his readied fists.

"Shift's up already?" Percy yawned out, rubbing his eyes as he placed his feet on the ground.

"Mhm," Thalia intoned back, having moved over to the small dresser at the foot of the single bed. She began taking off her armor, pulling each piece off and placing it on the top of the dresser. After that, she grabbed a towel and quickly entered the small en suite bathroom, the shower turning on almost immediately.

By the time Percy finally got to his feet and had rubbed most of the sleep out of his eyes, Thalia had stepped out of the bathroom, a towel tied around her body and her hair still damp from the shower. Silently, Percy slipped past her into the bathroom. When he was finished showering, he quickly dried himself off and turned off the bathroom light, stepping into the darkened room. On the bed, Thalia was already asleep, softly snoring with her blanket half draped on her.

Percy quietly suited up in his armor. Standing beside the bed, he leaned over and gently kissed Thalia on the forehead, before leaving the room and locking the door behind him.

Outside, it was a raucous affair, with monsters from all corners of Greek mythology inhabiting the _Princess Andromeda_. Between them, the occasional squad of demigods moved about, as well as messengers and other human mercenaries. A motley crew of people, none of whom had friendly countenances.

"Fenrir!" a harsh voice yelled from across the deck. Percy's head snapped to see a tough human mercenary waving him over, his other hand resting on a M16 rifle. The man had a nasty-looking scar running down diagonally across his face, and his chest was accentuated by a bandolier of bullets and grenades. Quickly, Percy ran over, snapping a salute as he reached the man.

"You're late! Why aren't you at your post?" the mercenary yelled, his spittle flying from his mouth, with not a small amount falling onto Percy's armor.

"Uh…"

"What are you still doing here? Get to your post!" the man roared, and Percy quickly ran off, heading to the storage room that he was supposed to guard. It was a mind-numbing job, watching people go to and fro, as well as checking the occasional request form for some supplies.

As he finally made it to his spot, Percy sighed and turned around, back to the storage room door as he adjusted to his usual routine of watching monsters and humans alike walk past while hoping that his knees still had some semblance of blood flow to them.

He and Thalia had lucked out – "Fenrir" and "Fangorn", the two guards that Zoë had eliminated and they had replaced, were fairly new recruits, and as such, were so disconnected from the social circles of the _Princess Andromeda_ that no one batted an eyelash when "Fangorn" turned out to be female. The two simply shared a small cabin on the ship, rotating out for two separate eight hour shifts in a single day. Unfortunately for the both of them, this meant that they rarely had time to interact with one another, usually doing no more than waiting for the other to finish showering or cleaning up and then switching who was in the bed. Five days had already passed like this.

They did, however, leave notes for each other. With such mundane tasks like running messages or standing guard in front of a room, they had plenty of time to take note of everything that they saw. As such, they each kept a running tally of how many monsters and humans they saw onboard, to better keep track of how large this contingent of Kronos' army was and the disposition of enemy forces. They also made notes on priority locations, like weapon storage facilities and command centers, as well as important people such as commanders.

Zoë, on the other hand, had gone completely native. In the near-week that he and Thalia had been onboard the _Princess Andromeda_ , Percy had not talked to the former Hunter a single time, and had only seen her twice from a distance, both times in the company of mid-ranking people on the ship. Evidently, she was working her way up the intelligence foodchain. There had been zero contact between them and her, but both demigods trusted that Zoë was working on something.

A passing-by soldier bumped into Percy, nearly elbowing the wind out of him.

"Hey!" Percy grunted, annoyed at the hit. He looked down at his armor, noticing it a small white slip that had been slid into the crack between his torso armor and pants. Quickly looking back up, he caught a glimpse of dark brown hair turning around the corner, gone before he could even reach out or mutter a cry to.

 _Zoë_ , Percy realized. He grabbed the small slip of paper, unfolding it to read its hurried scribble.

 _Staff meeting. C103._

 _-Z_

Innocuous and to the point. Percy looked back up. That person was definitely Zoë. If he was reading the situation correctly, she wanted him to sneak into the meeting or eavesdrop in on it. That meant it could be something important, like the plan for an attack on the Camp. Percy got ready to start heading down the decks but stopped as he realized his position. He couldn't. He was a lowly guard, and if he left, he would be hunted down as a deserter or a traitor – which, in all fairness, he technically was, unless never being loyal discounted being a traitor.

"What do I do," Percy muttered to himself, before he saw another guard walk past him. This one, he recognized, was Darv, a son of a minor god that had his own grievances against Olympus. However, from what Percy remembered of Darv's interactions with other guards onboard, he was something of a pushover.

"Yo, Darv," Percy greeted, moving slightly and waving out an arm to keep the demigod from going too far. Darv turned a suspiciously looked at Percy, not recognizing him.

"Fenrir," Percy supplied, anticipating the reaction. "Anyway, I really gotta go… you know, use the can. The little demigod's room. And I'm really not supposed to leave this post. Can you cover?"

"I-I'm not sure if that's allowed," Darv quietly replied, his timidity showing through his thin veneer of toughness and roughness. "Maybe you should ask your commande…" Percy waved him off.

"Just this once man, I'll seriously owe you one if you cover me here." Darv looked down for a few moments, before he nodded.

"Good man," Percy praised, slapping a hand on Darv's shoulder as he took Percy's former spot. For his part, Percy just ran down the stairs that led to the lower decks.

 _C103. That means it's two decks down._ Percy quickly turned the corner and rushed down another set of stairs, arriving on Deck C. Unfortunately, he didn't expect to see a gated corridor, complete with two guards standing at the end. Quickly moving to avoid them, he slipped into a restroom right beside the staircase.

"What do I do?" Percy whispered to himself, staring as his own visage in the mirror. He had taken off his helmet, letting it sit on the sink as he splashed his face with cold water. Looking up, he blinked as he saw an air ventilation duct above the leftmost mirror in the bathroom.

A duct that was fairly large.

"No way," Percy quietly muttered, his mouth creeping into a smile. Quickly stripping off the rest of his armor, he stashed it and his helmet in a stall, locking it to ensure that no one walked in on it at an inopportune time. He then took out the bottom two screws of the ventilation duct, letting them fall to the ground as he lifted up the grate. It opened with just a hint of screeching.

Percy climbed onto the sink, and with a grunt, heaved himself into the ventilation shaft. He could feel his lungs constricting slightly as he coughed slightly, blowing dust away from him. He stifled the sound as much as he could, and with the conviction that he needed to do this, he moved forward, letting the grate swing closed behind his feet as his entire body moved into the shaft.

 _Not my greatest idea_ , Percy thought to himself as he grimaced. He was crawling through what felt like inches of built-up dust and cobwebs, and it only felt like the ventilation shaft was getting thinner as he moved forward. By no means was he claustrophobic, but the shaft was also by no means comfortable to be in.

His foot accidentally brushed against a built-up pile of dust, and covered with cobwebs as the bottom of his foot was, it slipped and banged against the side of the shaft.

* * *

"What was that?" one of the guards standing out in the corridor by the metal gate asked. There had been a banging sound above them that had startled him.

"Probably just another rat. Damn ship is filthy and infested."

"Sheesh. You'd think that they could at least hire a janitor or two for this place. Or get those mercs to do it for us."

* * *

Percy quietly sighed as he heard no yells or other indications that he had been exposed, so he continued onwards, though this time at a slower pace. The crawl seemed nearly endless, given the relative darkness, but eventually, he began to hear indistinct voices. As he moved forward, they grew louder and more distinct, so he slowly came to a stop. Peering through one of the side grates of the ventilation shaft, he saw a conference room, complete with projector and PowerPoint presentation, filled with at least two dozen people. Some were monsters, but others were human of the demigod variety. None of the human mercenaries were there, and Percy could only imagine that it was because this conference was about the more "Greek" side of things.

The main presenter was a human, though judging by the sword strapped to his back, the scars on his face, and the general angry countenance he seemed to hold himself with, Percy would've guessed the man to be a son of Ares. It was somewhat less common for children of the twelve Olympians to align with Kronos' side, with Luke being the most notable defection, but it did happen.

"Moving on," the presenter said, clicking onto the next slide in his PowerPoint. "Operation Tentpole is on schedule. Both groups are moving into place and should be ready to begin by the end of next week. Victor, is your regiment ready?" Percy saw one of the human demigod leaning on the wall stand up straight as his posture stiffened. Unlike the vast majority of demigods Percy had seen in his life, Victor was an adult, closer to forty than he was to twenty. Like the presenter, he had a large blade strapped on his back, and his previously-relaxed posture was contrasted with his current straight-backed and proper form. Something about him screamed out at Percy's instincts, but he clamped down on them to listen.

"The human mercenaries are onboard, though the Mist probably won't cover the second phase of Tentpole," Victor said, his smooth voice not at all what Percy expected from someone on a ship like the _Princess Andromeda_. "We can cross that bridge if we get there. Either way, after the latest batch of recruits are finished up, we'll be ready to go. I'd recommend leaving port in a week, max."

The presenter nodded, before turning to somebody else. The flow of conversation in the room continued, but Percy's job was done. They were planning a major attack of some sort, and Percy could only assume that Camp Half-Blood was the target, as obvious as it was. It was also, more or less, the only viable major target against Olympus. Perhaps most importantly, Percy now knew the timescale of the attack – they were moving out within a week, and the attack would be within two. There wasn't much time to waste.

Crawling backwards slowly, Percy ignored the pain in his back and legs from the cramped position he had been in for the prolonged period of time he had spent spying. Still, he ignored it as he moved backwards through the shaft – what he had learned was more important than the amount of physical discomfort he endured. Painstakingly, he quietly lowered himself back into the bathroom, which was as deserted as he left it. Snapping the air duct's grate shut, he grabbed his armor and helmet, put it on, and strode out into the hall.

Both of the guards that were standing down the hallway by the metal gate looked at him strangely as he strode out of the bathroom, which, to them, he had been in for nearly an hour.

"Don't know what to tell you guys," Percy spoke up, rubbing the back of his helmeted head in an embarrassed fashion, "but whew, those burritos did not agree with me today." One of the guards chuckled slightly, and using the moment of levity, Percy quickly went up the stairs, not wanting to be risky with staying in a place he shouldn't have ever been in normally.

Lost in thought, Percy made his way to his post, only to have his heart freeze as he saw that Darv, who he had left there under the pretense of using the bathroom, nowhere to be seen. Instead, all he saw was the glaring expression of his commander. Unlike Victor, Percy's commander was a particularly physically-intimidating man, one that could have given someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime a run for his money in terms of size.

"And where the hell were you, Fenrir? Mind explaining why you deserted your post for an hour?"

Percy's brain went into overdrive trying to think of a plausible excuse, but none of them seemed even remotely believable as he felt the commander's harsh gaze bore into him.

"Oh, Andrew," a female voice floated past Percy, "I'm sorry. I requisitioned this guard for a special task I had earlier." Percy turned to see Zoë, nearly unrecognizable in her disguise, standing behind him. "It was an important task, and I had impressed upon him that he had to keep it secret."

"Aeris," Andrew grunted. "When did I ever give you permission to take _my_ soldiers for your purposes?"

Zoë smiled, grabbing Percy by his shoulders. "Sorry – it won't happen again. I'm going to need to take him for a bit to clarify some things." As she led Percy away from his original post, Andrew's glare narrowed with suspicion, but he said nothing.

Zoë led Percy into a small unused storage room one deck down from where he originally had been. Once in, she sighed and removed her helmet, letting her hair fall out. Percy sighed.

"That was close," he murmured, unfolding one of the stacked chairs and sitting on it.

"Indeed," the former Hunter replied. "What did you learn at the meeting? I was unable to attend it myself."

Percy looked directly at Zoë. "There will be an attack. They're calling it 'Operation Tentpole', and I'm not entirely sure what the target is, but I think it's Camp Half-Blood. There are two separate groups they're using for this attack. We should be leaving within a week, and the attack will happen by the end of next week."

Zoë leaned against the wall, her brow scrunched up in thought. "This is concerning. I have heard very little of these movements, but they are accurate with what little I do know. You may not have noticed because you are still new to this ship, but for many weeks now, groups of troops have been shifted off-shore. They have been using the highways to move forces to unknown places, while leaving the _Princess Andromeda_ here as a decoy. Still, the commanding staff is here."

Sighing, she pushed herself off the wall. "Do not worry about the past movements for now. I will contact Chiron with this information and try to find out more about this Operation Tentpole. In the meantime, talk around and see if you can figure out where each group is being transferred to." She checked her wristwatch. "Take the rest of the day off and recuperate tonight. I will make sure that you and Thalia are included in tomorrow's shore leave so you will have a chance to gather information from the other guards."

Zoë pulled her helmet back on and opened the door.

"Fenrir, you have your orders." She left.

Percy gathered himself, refolded the chair and placed it back in the stack, and left as well. He made his way back to the small room he shared with Thalia. With a knock, he slowly and quietly opened the door. He could hear murmuring inside.

"That's all I have for now. I'll contact you when I have more, dad," Thalia's voice rang out in the darkness as Percy walked in. She sat on the bed facing away from him, with one of those small handheld fans that came with a continuous water-spray function. After the light illuminating the Iris message faded, the room was cast back into darkness.

"Thalia?" Percy asked, coming up to the bed.

"Oh, Percy?" Thalia said, turning around. "You're back early."

"Yeah, Zoë got me off early today. We also have shore leave tomorrow. What were you doing?"

Thalia held up the little mist-sprayer. "Just called my dad. I've been giving him updates on our quest so far."

Percy looked at that a little oddly but nodded anyway. He supposed it was a good thing that Thalia was feeling that she could get closer to Zeus, and it was also a good thing that Zeus seemed to be making an effort to get closer to his daughter.

"Are you going to sleep?" Thalia asked, cutting through his thoughts.

"I suppose. Did you?"

"Not really. We could squeeze?"

"Sure."

The two climbed into the small bed, shoulders brushing against each other as they pulled the blanket over themselves.

"Good night," Percy whispered.

"Night," Thalia replied, her voice getting quieter, so much so that Percy almost didn't hear her last words. "Love you."

"Love you too," Percy replied, gently kissing her forehead before turning and letting himself sink into the bed and into sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for the late update – I got hit hard by midterms.

Good news and bad news. I suppose the bad news will go first.

Bad news: These last few weeks have been kind of rough. Second round of midterms and homework took up a lot of time, but more than that, I felt like I was losing motivation to write at all. For the first time since starting this story, I didn't feel like I knew where to go with it, and that was a major part of why I didn't update for a while.

But…

Good news: That was all resolved a week ago. Since then, things have been looking up. I did alright on those midterms, and perhaps more importantly, I figured out a lot of the stuff I wanted to do in this story. I now have a clear ending in mind and at the very least, a rudimentary path to get there. I can't promise weekly updates like I did last year, but they will be coming.

Thanks for sticking around. Stay tuned for the next chapter, and don't forget to follow, favorite, and review.


	17. A Spurious Peace

**A/N:** Just wanted to say that with the last chapter, this story passed 100 reviews and 50,000 words. We're also closing in on the 50k view count, with 45k. That's a tremendous achievement, and it's only because of all of you who continue to support this story. Thank you – here's to another 50,000 words!

Also, chapters one through three have been revised to better fit the flow of the story, and four will be along with the next chapter update. Check them out if you have the time.

* * *

Given all of the turmoil of the past week, Percy supposed that this brief respite was the silver lining at the end of it. As Zoë had promised him, she had gotten both Thalia and him shore leave for the day. Along with another group of guards, they had free reign to do what they chose to do in town until dark. After Zoë had given him her assurance that she would watch over the affairs of the ship and alert them should anything happen, Percy felt considerably more at ease about the thought of spending the day with Thalia and relaxing. That and the fact that so many of the guards onboard the _Princess Andromeda_ leaving for the day indicating that the ship itself was going nowhere for now meant that this affair was fairly safe.

While they were both tired from the laborious schedule kept aboard the _Princess Andromeda_ , Percy was grateful for the break that he and Thalia could take for once. Over the past week, they had seen each other awake perhaps a handful of times, and generally one or both of them were too tired to do much other than want to sleep when they were conscious anyway.

This was how Percy found himself sitting beside Thalia on a bench at the edge of the Marina, sipping on wonderfully cold iced coffees as they enjoyed the summer sun and breeze. For one, they had needed the caffeine _badly_ , but just as importantly, the icy cold drink was a refreshing taste compared to the hot and foul ship that they had spent so much time on now, and it seemed like just a little bit of freedom and peace compared to the anxiety of their current mission. Disregarding the fact that they could see the _Princess Andromeda_ from where they were sitting, it was almost like a return to normalcy – what life should've been like for the two young demigods, rather than how it really was. It was also a godsend – perhaps literally – that he could wear shorts again, after being stuffed into hot, sweaty armor for a week. Thalia's flowing summer dress and sandals seemed to indicate that she felt the same.

"This is nice," Percy murmured, as he leaned back on the white wooden bench. There were a series of stone steps that led to the waterline, and as Percy leaned back, the waves gently flowed onto and off of them. Around them, families and couples walked by, voice and laughter equally audible.

"Yeah. Really peaceful. I'm glad we had this chance to rest, especially here," Thalia agreed, sipping on her own iced coffee as she closed her eyes to rest them. An amicable silence fell over them, Thalia with her eyes closed and her head leaned back but not quite asleep, and Percy just staring out to the Gulf, in tune with the water as he always was. Still, even as Percy felt the calmness of the waves close by him, a tiny prickling, a small nugget of uncertainty and confusion crept up from what he had buried the day before.

"Thalia," Percy suddenly blurted out. She opened her blue eyes with a start, blinking a few times as she turned to face Percy, her back still fully relaxed on the bench. "When did you start, uh, talking with your dad again?"

From what he knew about Thalia over the past year and some, he had never seen her on good terms with Zeus. For them to be Iris messaging meant that something fundamental had shifted in their dynamic.

Thalia shifted upwards, clasping onto her cold drink with both hands as she looked slightly downwards at the concrete steps.

"Well, you know that he and I never really… got along. I guess it changed around the beginning of summer, right around when we were about to leave for this. He called me kind of out of the blue, and, well, I listened to what he had to say to me, after not saying anything for the first decade of my life." Thalia gave a deep sigh, before looking up at Percy. "And for once, it felt… _genuine_. Like he actually loved me. Like he really wanted to be an actual dad. And I thought, 'why not give him a chance'? I mean, I know that he wasn't there when he should've been, but I've never given him a second chance. So I guess we're just working our way back up."

Percy nodded as Thalia explained, but she continued even as he did so.

"It feels really good to be loved by him. I can't explain it. It just does," she whispered.

"Uh, alright," Percy replied, brow furrowing at her last comment. Nonetheless, he just took another sip of his drink. He gulped slightly. "Say, Thalia, when we get done with this…" he trailed off as she looked at him, straight into his eyes. "When we get back to Camp, and this is all over…" Percy tensed up, trying to find that last bit of strength. It was honestly one thing to say that they loved each other – they had done that. They had kissed. But that was _all_ they had done. De facto, they acted like a couple. Really, they were, but their relationship had hardly progressed since they had been at the peak of Tamalpais. He wanted to change that.

They needed to change that.

"Do you want to go on a da-" A loud buzz cut him off, and shocked, he turned to the Gulf, where instead of seeing the expanse of water he expected, he instead saw a misty rainbow. Quickly it faded to a watery image of Zoë – dressed as Aeris. Her expression was one of panic, wide-eyed and frantic.

"You must return now!" she whisper-yelled, her voice slightly hoarse. "It is happening now!"

"Wait, what's happening?" Thalia questioned, scooting forward on the wooden bench.

"Operation Tentpole," Zoë bit out, her jaw tense. "It's happening _now_."

A stunned silence filled the air for a few seconds before Percy spoke up.

"But… how? The _Princess Andromeda_ ," Percy paused, looking past the mist to the docks of the Marina, "is still here. How can they have any troops to send to the Camp?"

"No! Camp Half-Blood is not the only target. I do not know how, but they have a portal of some sort. It connects the lower decks of the ship to both the Camp and Olympus itself! Tentpole will strike at the heart of the gods themselves! You must return to the ship immediately. The portal will be closing soon, but you two must cross and stop their Olympus plan. I will go to the Camp to offer my assistance, but I will first wait for you two to board the ship and meet me." Percy and Thalia both nodded, and with a quick wave, Zoë cut the Iris message.

The two demigods quickly stood up, Percy grabbing his bag which lay beside one of the bench's legs, and tossed their melted iced coffees into a trash can by the bench as they ran off towards the center of the marina.

"Wait!" Thalia yelled, stopping Percy in his tracks. "We need to warn the Camp if they haven't already been. Zoë hasn't gone yet so they don't have anyone to warn them." Percy nodded, and pulled out a spray bottle from his backpack. He quickly began to spray the air, creating a light mist with a faint rainbow. Thalia fished out a drachma, with tossed it into the mist.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Chiron in Camp Half-Blood."

Percy expected to see the old centaur sitting in the Big House or perhaps on the training field with some demigods, but what he did not expect to see was the telltale flicker of orange fire. He and Thalia both leaned forward in shock as they stared at the view before them.

Parts of the Camp were in flames – the Big House, the growing fields, some of the cabins were burning away. In the distance, flashes of lights could be seen, and loud thuds and booms could be heard. In the dust and smog from the fires and the fighting, there were massive shadows of figures moving in the distance. Every move they made was accompanied by a cacophony of screams. It was an almost apocalyptic sight.

"Percy? Thalia?" Chiron's voice cried out. The view panned downwards and to the side, where the two demigods saw the veteran centaur kneeling on the ground, panting slightly. He had a nasty gash on the side of his face, and parts of his fur were matted with blood. Behind him, a group of demigods kneeled as well, most of them looking worse for wear.

"Chiron, what's going on?" Percy asked, his eyes wide.

"An attack," Chiron replied, his voice heavy and breathy. "A sudden attack. They burst out of the Labyrinth entrance, and we couldn't repel them. There are Titans here – Hyperion and Krios. Some of the gods have come to our aid, but," Chiron paused briefly to catch his breath as best he could, "they are stalemated. It has only made the battle more destructive." A scream off-screen startled the centaur, who rose to his full height and brandished his blade.

"You must come to help us!" Chiron yelled, the Iris message beginning to fade.

"We can't," Thalia quickly replied, trying futilely to grasp onto the quickly fading Iris message. "There's another attack! Zoë will come to help you!" The message faded completely as Thalia uttered those last words, and Percy had no idea whether Chiron had heard or not. But it didn't matter.

"We have to go," Percy hurriedly whispered, grabbing Thalia's arm. She looked up at him with worry but nodded.

The two sprinted to the Marina, quickly finding the dock the _Princess Andromeda_ was at. They ran up the plank, ignoring the conspicuous lack of dracanae that usually manned the booth at the entryway of the ship. Quickly changing into more combat-suitable clothing, they ran up the stairs that led to the deck of the ship.

"Percy, Thalia," Zoë hurriedly greeted them on the deck of the _Princess Andromeda_. The deck was void of anyone else, which only heightened the fear of the two demigods that had just arrived.

"Where is everyone?" Percy asked, looking around.

"They've already gone to their assigned posts, some to the Camp but most to Olympus. Here, let us not tarry here any longer." Zoë led them down a flight of stairs, reaching the lowest level of the ship. When they had reached the bottom of the ship, the hall was nothing more than smooth wall on either side ended by a set of doors at the end.

"The one of the left is to the Camp," Zoë explained as they speed-walked down the hall, "and the one on the right is to Olympus." They reached the end of the hallway. "You must not wait any longer." Without warning, she grabbed both demigods in a bear hug.

"You both have done very much for me, and I must thank you as friends." Zoë finally broke it and stepped back. "I do not know whether we will ever see each other again, but if we don't, then let this be our farewell." She opened the door to left room, which let an eerie blue light out, but her eyes never left Percy and Thalia. "I bid you both victory even in the face of overwhelming opposition."

And with that, Zoë went in. The door shut, taking its light with it.

Thalia trembled slightly as Percy took a deep sigh to calm himself.

"Right," Thalia said, finally collecting herself. "Let's go." With a wordless nod, Percy opened the door to the right room, and let himself and Thalia be bathed in the incomprehensibly bright and eerie blue light.

Thalia quickly grabbed Percy's hand, and he held on tight as well. No matter where they went, they would go together.

* * *

 _Mount Olympus_

Percy opened his eyes. He saw the majestic temple that housed the eleven thrones of the Olympian gods in the distance, as he had seen twice before. However, this was unlike either of those times.

Fires raged across many of the auxiliary parts of Olympus, and rubble was strewn about on the path to the peak of the mountain. They were already late.

Percy moved forward to hurry to the temple, but realized his hand was still being clasped onto by Thalia. Turning around, he saw her eyes still shut tightly. Finally, her eyes opened, but they were weary with fear. She was shaking slightly as she looked up at the temple.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked, anxious at Thalia's adverse reaction to Olympus.

"I… I don't know," Thalia admitted, her voice unsteady. "I feel… something. Calling to me." She winced. "It hurts."

"Here, you can just stay here until you feel bet-" Percy was cut off by Thalia waving a hand in front of his face.

"No, I'll go with you." She looked up at him defiantly. "I'll be alright."

Percy wanted to argue more, to say that she didn't look alright in any meaning of the word, but under the circumstances, he had no choice.

"Okay," he replied slowly, "but if you don't feel well, we stop." Thalia quickly nodded, and the two headed off down the damaged path toward the temple of the gods.

As they continued down the path, the full scale of the immense destruction that had been dealt to Olympus became readily more apparent to the two demigods. Kronos' army had done well to sack the city. Houses were on fire. Buildings were torn apart. Gardens were ripped to shreds. Everywhere Percy looked, there was some sign of damage that indicated an invading army.

And then he saw the first body.

It was a centaur, dressed in a half-tuxedo. His eyes were thankfully closed, but dried blood matted his neck fur and covered the stone blocks that made the path. Percy's hands shook as he saw the despicable display of innocent death in front of him, and then he looked past it.

Corpses littered the sides of the path ahead of them. There were a multitude of different creatures, befitting the acclaimed status of Olympus as the center of the Greek pantheon. It didn't matter – none of them were spared from the onslaught. There were even humans – demigods, more than likely – among the dead.

Percy turned away from the sight while Thalia grimaced at the sight of such wanton death.

"We can't stay here. We gotta keep going," Percy whispered. Thalia didn't respond, but rather pre-empted Percy by starting to run up the path. Sighing, he followed closely behind, trying his best to not look at the sides of the path.

Finally, they reached the base of the steps that led up to the temple itself. Panting slightly, Percy looked up the steps, but only made it up three of them before he realized that Thalia was not behind him.

He looked back. She was staring at a fork in the road, one that led to an ornamental palace downhill. Her arm rose slightly, with a finger almost pointing to the palace. Her lips moved, but Percy couldn't hear the words she made out.

"Thalia, we have to go," Percy said. Still, she made no move.

"Thalia," Percy reiterated again.

"I feel something," Thalia murmured, barely audible to Percy. "It's so much stronger than it was back down there. I feel it _calling_ to me."

"Now's not the time Thalia. There are a bunch of bad guys up in that temple and I'm going to need your help to beat them," Percy pleaded. "Come on."

Her arm dropped, and she turned to face Percy. He recoiled as he saw her usually striking lightning-blue eyes clouded over, as if someone had put pieces of scratched plastic in front of them. He could barely make them out.

"I'm sorry, Percy," she whispered, before she sprinted down the fork in the path.

"Thalia!" Percy yelled after her, but it was too late – she was gone, and he was left alone at the steps of the temple. His outstretched hand, opened as if to grab onto her, closed as his arm fell, and his mouth fell open slightly as he realized that Thalia had just abandoned him.

His arms shook slightly as he felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he quickly squeezed his eyes shut and wiped them away. Now was not the time for tears or sorrow, but rather for heroism. He had to be a hero to save Olympus, and he would be one. Alone or not. Even if his heart screamed in pain, he had to stand strong. That was the thought Percy concentrated on as he took each torturous step upwards.

When he reached the top, he saw a what was left of the part of Kronos' army that had been sent to Olympus. There were still a few dozen monsters and demigods left, most of them standing in small groups as they huddled outside the temple. The temple's gates had been blown apart, with only fragments of them still hanging on the hinges.

There was no time to waste. He was already late.

Percy roared, letting out all of his pain, anguish, and anger in one hate-filled scream of pain and promise. The scattered remains of Kronos' army turned to face him, drawing their swords even as their faces betrayed apprehension.

He drew Riptide, letting it form in his hands as he threw away the cap and strode forward with loathing in every step. They had done so much to attack the world he was a part of, to attack his home and threaten those he loved. He would promise them pain indeed.

* * *

Thalia came to a stop at the grand doors at the front of the beautiful palace. She looked around for another entrance, but before she could move, the palace doors creaked open, and she hesitantly pushed them open wider to enter.

The palace was relatively dark, even with the air-exposed windows and balconies. A chilly draft blew through the thin silk curtains into the massive hall, and Thalia felt herself shiver both from the cold and the anticipation of what was to come.

There was a scream of pain from the end of the hallway, as well as an eerie blue light. With little caution, Thalia strode forward, her combat boots quietly falling on the marble floor the only sound that echoed through the hall apart from the grunts of pain. As she rounded the corner, she instinctively pulled back at the sight in front of her.

There was a grand carpet that covered the center of the small alcove of the hall. In the middle of the carpet was a man, but one with two faces. Both were in equal amounts of pain, and the man himself was tied down with a multitude of golden strings. He was glowing blue – the same eerie shade that had inhabited the two rooms on the _Princess Andromeda_. Past the carpet was an ornamental loveseat, its wood carefully designed and molded. But its beauty paled in comparison to the goddess that sat in it, her feet dangling off the armrest of one side as she reclined on the other.

"Ah, Thalia, my dear. How nice of you to join us," Aphrodite purred, her eyelashes flickering at the stunned daughter of Zeus. In the goddess' hand, she held a electrified prod, and every time the man on the ground began to breathe normally again, she pushed it into him until he screamed again.

"What are you doing?" Thalia asked, her arms limp by her sides.

"Ah, well, that's very simple to answer," Aphrodite began, beaming at the demigod as she continued to torture her victim. "Janus here is, well… how should I put it? Ah, yes – an unwilling participant in the greater plan. I'm simply motivating him." Her face scrounged up. "Of course, it hasn't been _all_ sunshine and rainbows. He's a Roman god, after all, and it does terrible things for us Greeks to be in prolonged contact with the Roman versions."

As if to illustrate her point, Aphrodite blinked and her hairstyle changed, as did her manner of dress, which changed from a modern western strapless dress to a toga, before changing back. "It's doing simply awful things to my makeup, and ugh, Venus has no style – still stuck in the past," Aphrodite continued. "Anyway, Janus here has the power to open portals, so he's been doing just that for the past few hours – one here in Olympus, and one in Camp Half-Blood. Simple and easy."

Thalia was at a loss for words. "But… why? You're an Olympian. Why would you betray your brothers and sisters for the Titans?"

Aphrodite laughed, a melodic sound that could cause the hearts of men around the world to leap in joy. "Oh, that's very funny," Aphrodite chuckled, pretending to wipe away non-existent tears from her eyes. "Very funny indeed. You think I'm doing this for Kronos? Please, he's nothing but a stepping stone in the grand scheme of things, even if he doesn't recognize that himself. No, I serve one much greater, and far more ancient, than he. And when thetime comes, even Kronos won't be able to stop it." Aphrodite laughed again. "Get it? 'Time' and Kronos? Because he can control time? Ah well…" she waved it off. "You get the point."

"I really don't," Thalia snarled, expanding her shield and pulling out her spear. Aphrodite tsked and flicked a finger. Thalia's face went slack and she dropped to her knees, her spear and shield falling from her hands and transforming back into their mortal containers.

"Wh- what is this?" Thalia cried out, her eyes clouded over and her voice unsteady. "What did you do to me? Why do I feel like this?!"

Aphrodite rose to her feet, stepping over the whimpering Janus to the kneeling Thalia. Her heels clacked on the marble ground and echoed throughout the hall. With one slender hand, she grasped Thalia's chin and cheeks to force the demigod to look at her.

"Oh, you have it all wrong – it's more 'what did you do to yourself'. You don't understand yourself as much as you think you do. So eager to feel loved and wanted… you didn't even stop to think why someone like Zeus would bother to Iris message someone like _you_." Thalia began to tear up, but Aphrodite paid no heed to the droplets that ran down the demigod's cheeks, smearing her eyeliner as it did so and running over Aphrodite's manicured fingers. Instead, the goddess roughly let go of Thalia and rose to her full height. Her face began to morph, and soon enough, Thalia was staring at an identical image of Zeus.

"I can transform myself into an amalgamation of the most beautiful humans to have ever lived," Aphrodite proclaimed, her voice deep like Zeus's. "Do you not think it is but child's play for me to imitate a god?" She transformed back to her original self. "But still, that would've not been enough. No, for my powers to have ensnared you so would've required an equal amount on your end. You opened yourself up to me because you truly wanted to love a father, and you truly wanted a father to love you." Thalia sobbed as she heard the words straight from the devil's mouth.

"But it's no matter telling you now. It's simply too late for you – I have you enthralled in my grasp for the rest of eternity. And now, you will turn to serve me, your rightful **queen** , in perpetuity. You will love me enough to die for me. You will love me _forever_." Aphrodite's eyes glowed a ghastly pink, and Thalia doubled over, her cheeks wet and her breath uneven. The demigod spluttered as she squirmed on the ground, even as Aphrodite's aura increased exponentially in intensity. Finally, it shut off, and the only sounds in the hall were those of Janus's moans and Thalia's breaths.

Thalia rose again to her knees, her palms lying on top of her legs. She looked up at Aphrodite, her blue eyes clouded over and her mouth in a facsimile of a smile.

"I serve and obey, your highness," Thalia chanted in a singsong voice.

Aphrodite's ruby red lips curled upwards in a cruel smirk.

* * *

Percy grunted as he grabbed the last remaining demigod and bashed his helmet in, breaking his nose and eliciting a squeal of pain from the man. With a heave, he kneed him in the gut and tossed him off the steps to the temple, where he landed with a sickening crunch and didn't move.

Turning back to the temple, Percy let out a deep sigh before walking forward, moving past the broken gates into the hall of the temple. There was yet another set of broken gates at the very end of the hall where the reverse-U of the Olympian council was, but in-between Percy and that room stood a single man.

Percy had seen this man before, at the meeting that he had spied on. It was Victor, the man that Percy had once mused as strange for being a demigod that had lived long enough to become middle-aged. Victor had his large blade drawn, and his fur coat was lying on the ground by the side. He looked at Percy with an indeterminable expression on his face.

"I must give you credit for staying undercover aboard the ship for so long. Even when Andrew told me of his suspicions, I thought nothing of you." The man shrugged. "Then again, by merit of being an acquaintance – no, by merit of just talking with Aeris, whoever she really is, you were already under suspicion."

Percy sharply inhaled, and Victor chuckled. "Did you really think that anyone could hide aboard the _Princess Andromeda_? You knew only what we wanted you to know. Even this meeting, now, was pre-ordained by our machinations of the past. That's simply how it is."

Percy growled. "Get out of the way. I'll spare you if you do."

Victor rolled his eyes. "Kids these days. So impatient and impulsive. Alright then," the man said, getting into a combat stance, "let's do this. I'll let you have the first move."

Percy screamed as he ran towards the older demigod, Riptide already swinging diagonally – yes, Percy could see the blade running from Victor's left should to his right hip, the spurt of fresh blood that would erupt from the slice…

He grunted as he felt the air being slammed out of his chest and the cold hard marble on his face, or rather the other way around. Scrambling to his feet, Percy eyed Victor with caution.

With another grunt, he moved forward, initiating by bringing his blade for a sideways slice. Victor effortlessly parried it, lifting his own massive blade with twice the ease Percy did his smaller Riptide before using the weight of his larger sword to push Percy backwards and knock him off balance.

Then Victor struck. He lunged forward, his right arm an imperceptible blur as he sliced, thrust, and chopped with his sword. For his part, Percy did his best to block as many as he could, which, from the eruptions of blood and tears of cloth that littered nearly every part of Percy's body, was nowhere near fast enough. Victor swung his blade in a large circle, one that threatened to cut off Percy's head had he not ducked fast enough, but the moment Percy looked up after the blade had passed, he felt a heavy boot slam into his torso and kick him backwards, knocking all of the air out of his chest again as he slid across the marble floor. Riptide fell away from his hand and clattered to the ground. The son of Poseidon laid on the ground, feebly trying to move his tired and injured muscles in a futile effort.

Victor strode over and looked at the pathetic sight Percy presented on the ground, his clothes torn and his blood everywhere. Lifting his sword, he sighed.

"You had a good run, kid. But you're too emotional in a fight." The older demigod took a deep breath as he prepared to plunge his massive sword into Percy's chest, but before he could do so, a single word echoed through the temple.

"Stop." The voice was high and cold, yet almost familiar to Percy's ears.

"Bring him to me," the voice continued.

Victor kneeled by Percy's head, grinning. "Looks like it's your lucky day, huh? Another five minutes of life." He roughly grabbed one of Percy's shoulders, dragging him across the floor and leaving a trail of blood on the marble as Victor brought Percy into the council room. There was a solitary figure staring at Zeus's throne, and Victor dumped Percy at the figure's feet.

The figure sighed and turned around. Percy's eyes widened.

"L-Luke!" Percy ground out, his growl considerably less intimidating considering his wounded state.

'Luke' looked at Percy coldly. "Luke Castellan is no more, Perseus Jackson. I am Kronos, King of the Titans. Bring her out."

Two guards brought a struggling figure out, dumping her in front of Poseidon's throne before returning to the shadows. Percy's eyes widened again as he saw that it was none other than Annabeth. Bounded and gagged as she was, Annabeth's eyes still zoned in on Percy, and he could feel her concern through her gaze.

The tell-tale click-clack of heels and a softer footfall following soon came from another entryway to the council room, and Percy struggled to see Aphrodite stride into the temple like she was Queen of the gods. Behind her, Thalia followed, an eerily content smile on her face as she looked slightly downwards at the marble floor.

"Thalia!" Percy cried out, partially in need and partially out of pain. She gave no indication that she had heard him.

"Oh, it's too late for that, my dear hero," Aphrodite crooned. "She's quite fully mine now." Percy could feel his heart splitting into more pieces as his eyes grew hot and moist.

Kronos paid no attention to the newcomers, rather turning back to the face Zeus's throne. He raised his arms in a grand fashion, as if to bear the weight of the Olympian thrones.

"These foolish gods left this place thinking it was safe. They never expected treachery from within. Now, Oceanus has Poseidon pre-occupied, and Hyperion and Krios have gathered the other gods' attentions at the half-blood camp. They have left their thrones, their seats of power, undefended! You shall all be witnesses to my rise as I crush these Olympians and cast them into the darkest pits of Tartarus. I will start here, with the throne of the king of the gods."

Kronos pulled out an ornate curved dagger, raising his arm as he wound it up to strike.

"No!" Percy screamed, mustering the last of his energy to rise up. He pulled the replenished Riptide out of his pocket, and uncapping it, rushed forward as quickly as he could, his sword pointing at Kronos. The Titan spun around to see the demigod rush at him, and with a quick gesture, ordered Victor to stay put even as the older demigod rushed forward. With a precise throw, the Titan threw his ornately curved dagger at the demigod.

As the dagger approached, Percy could feel time slow down, the currents of destiny shifting and squirming in the path of the blade. He could see it parallel to his sword as it passed, see it aimed squarely at his chest. There was nothing he could do. It was imminently going to pierce him, and **there was nothing he could do**.

"No!" Percy thought. "No! It can't end like this!" He looked around, his gaze finally falling on Poseidon's throne.

"Dad, help me!" Percy cried – though whether it was in his head or out loud, he did not know.

The dagger inched closer, nicking the fabric of what was left of Percy's shirt. Suddenly, a golden beam emitted from the back of Poseidon's throne, connecting with the tip of Kronos' dagger just as it drew the slightest hint of blood from Percy's chest. The dagger stopped its forward motion, but then began to spin around its center axis rapidly, as if drilling into Percy's chest. The golden beam grew in intensity. Percy's eyes widened.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

An overpowering white light filled the room, forcing even Kronos and Aphrodite, Titan and god as they were, to look away from its brilliance. A shockwave emitted from the center of the light, knocking all of the mortals in the room over while forcing the immortals onto a knee. The aura of power cascaded on those in the temple, washing over them wave after wave in a seemingly never-ending cycle.

Finally, the white light subsided.

Victor looked at the scene with incredulity in his eyes.

Annabeth screamed, her cries muffled by her gag.

A singular tear trickled down Thalia's right cheek, even if she didn't realize it herself. Somewhere deep in her unconscious betrayed her happy countenance.

Where there had once been a son of Poseidon, there was now nothing more than a blackened crater, the marble floor twisted and fused by the power that had been unleashed.

Percy Jackson was no more.


	18. An Unsettling Arrival

For a moment, Percy felt at peace. He was laying on a warm surface, the temperature being a nice contrast from the cool breeze that blew past. His eyes closed, he dug his cheek further into the surface like it was a pillow, feeling it shift underneath his weight to accommodate his movements.

After a few moments of comfort and peace, Percy finally began to truly stir. His hands brushed up against the surface to rub his eyes. Groggily, one hand slid through the surface of the ground, feeling the fluid movements of grains as it contorted through his fingers. Bringing the hand up to his eyes, he slowly opened one. Blinding light obscured most of his bleary vision, but making out his hand, he could see the soft grains of sand fall as he rubbed them between his finger and thumb.

With a start, Percy rolled over so his back was to the ground, his eyes opened wide as he struggled to get up. A groan erupted from him as he got onto his side as heat flared all over his body. Looking down himself, Percy saw a litter of cuts and slashes all over, some of which were still open and oozing the red nectar of life.

The sound of crashing waves shook Percy out of his stupor, and he turned to see a vast blue dominate his field of vision. It was difficult to distinguish the horizon that separated the two great aqua domains from one another, forcing Percy to push himself to his feet against the hot pain in his legs and muscles and squint his eyes to make out as much as could of the view.

He spun around. Behind him, a lush forest appeared where the white sand stopped, and in front, there was nothing more than the expanse of the blue sea. He swallowed, panic rising in his chest. Where was Thalia? Annabeth? Kronos? Quickly looking down, he saw the front of his shirt seared black – with a start, Percy remembered the golden dagger than had come so close to skewering him. Lifting open the front of his shirt, he sighed in relief when he saw unblemished skin, with no sign that the dagger had actually harmed him.

However, the moment he took a single step forward, he stumbled onto the ground, and he remembered that his limbs were covered with cuts and bruises, courtesy of his short but brutal fight with Victor. His legs, with numerous slashes lined on his calves and thighs, refused to respond to Percy's commands. Crawling over to the sea, he flopped into the ocean water, letting the refreshing coldness of it wash over him. The saltwater seeped into his wounds, but instead of burning them, it healed them, closing up the numerous gashes and restoring bruises to pristine skin.

As Percy lay in the shallow water, staring into the heavenly blue of the clear sky, his mind wandered. Specifically – where was he? A beautiful place, yes, but it was nowhere that Percy recognized. The clear-blue water, bright skies, and clean white sand made it seem like he was somewhere almost tropical, but the heat was hardly that oppressive; it was actually quite temperate and cool. He closed his eyes in defeat. He had no idea where he was and was pretty sure that he wouldn't be able to find out. Either way, resting and recovering was the best option.

Percy lost track of time, his eyes closed and his breathing even as he let the restorative powers of water heal him. However, the sound of sloshing – water being moved by an unnatural object – awoke him to the world, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that the sun had moved from its morning position to an afternoon spot. Blinking his eyes a few times, he sat up in the water, reveling in the feel of his damp hair in the cool breeze under the warm sun. Turning, he saw a ship – a boat, really – slowly sailing towards him. The white sail was retracted, and there were some men using oars to row it into the shallow depth Percy sat at.

When the boat pulled parallel with Percy, a middle-aged man, his skin tanned bronze and his black hair cropped short at his shoulders, leaned over and smiled at him. His teeth were relatively clean and he wore a beard and moustache that suited his look and gave him an appearance of friendliness and kindness.

"Hello there, stranger. We saw you in the water and quickly came over. Are you in need of help?" the man said, his deep voice gruff but friendly in tone.

Percy quickly nodded. "I shipwrecked on the island." He remembered Annabeth's captured state. Thalia's blank expression as he yelled in pain. "I was the only survivor."

The man nodded, his smile fading to a solemn expression for a few moments before returning. "You are the not the first I have rescued from these shores. The beauty of this area can be deceiving – the tide can be rough and dangerous for those who are inexperienced." The man reached out a hand to Percy, and the demigod accepted it, clasping on as the older man pulled him to his feet. By now, the vast majority of Percy's wounds had fully closed or healed to a point where they were minor, so he could stand with little issue or pain as the water had also reinvigorated his muscles and replenished his strength.

"My name is Alexis," the man said, stepping back to let Percy onto the boat. Climbing onto the vessel, Percy saw four other men onboard, each with an oar. To the side, there were some nets and other fishing gear, which matched with his own estimation that they were local fishermen. "And yours?"

"I am Perseus," Percy said. He blinked. Why had he given out his full name? He had no idea, but before he could really think about it, Alexis laughed and patted him on the back, the force of the large man's friendly pat being enough to knock Percy over.

"Ah, like the great hero, no?" Alexis said, a wide smile on his face. "A strong name." To this, Percy weakly smiled, and stood up again.

"Now, Perseus," Alexis continued, "where are you from? If it is close by, we may be able to return you to your home before the sun sets today."

Percy looked around. He had no inkling where he was, and from that, he had no way to know how to get home. "My home," he hesitantly began, "is very far away from here. I may be better off following you and finding shelter elsewhere for now."

Alexis slowly nodded, his brow scrunched up in thought. "That is no issue. It explains your…" he gestured up and down Percy, " _interesting_ dress. In fact, you can stay with me for as long as you need to."

Percy looked up at the older man, a genuine smile on the demigod's face. "Thank you, Alexis."

* * *

The journey took a few hours, with Percy alternating between helping row and staring out the side of the boat to the vast blue sea. Every now and then, there would be a few islands in the distance, but for much of the journey, it was just water. None of it helped Percy place where he was in the world. This was somewhere he had never been, and the fact that he, Alexis, and the other men on the boat shared the same language only made it more confusing.

As the sun began to set, Percy saw an island in the nearby distance. The men cheered as they saw it, causing Percy to turn to Alexis with a curious look.

"Why did you all cheer when you see that island?"

"That, my friend, is our home," Alexis replied, a smile on his face. "It is our tradition to welcome a safe return on every trip."

They approached the island with haste, and as Percy continued to stare at the island, his brow furrowed in confusion. As they came closer to the landmass, it became evident that their destination was a small village on its coast. However, from what he could see, the village was rather backwards. The docks were no more than a single walkway made of wood. The buildings were little more than wood huts, with the occasional stone brick building. It was, to someone who had grown up into the concrete jungle of metropolitan New York like Percy, a place that looked exceptionally poor.

Still, when Percy looked up at Alexis, the older man looked at his home with a proud smile.

* * *

"Welcome to Serifos, home of us humble fishermen," Alexis proudly proclaimed as they stepped off of the boats and onto the wooden walkway that constituted the village's only pier.

Percy looked around. His initial assessment of the village was not entirely accurate. There were more stone buildings up into the heart of the island, but they were largely abandoned, and many had fallen into disrepair. It seemed like much of the coast was poorer and consisted of the small wooden huts and shacks compared to the more advanced buildings in-land.

"Ah, Alexis, you have returned!" a voice cried out. "And with a guest, as well!"

The group turned to see an old man with a small entourage of villagers approach them. Alexis raised a hand to greet them.

"Elder," Alexis amicably said, looking up at the old man with respect. "our day has been fruitful. Our catch was good, and we have rescued this young man here." Alexis clasped both hands on both of Percy's shoulders, and the demigod nodded carefully.

The old man smiled at the sight. "Good, good. Very good. If I may, let me speak with young Perseus alone for a little while as you all clean up." Without waiting for Alexis' response, the old man swung an arm around Percy's shoulders and guided him up the stone steps.

Percy was a little concerned about leaving the only person he knew on the island in the care of a mysterious old man, but there was something else niggling at his mind.

… how did the old man know his name?

* * *

The old man led Percy to a small hut a few minutes from the shoreline, and after letting Percy enter, he closed the door behind them. Light shone through the windows to illuminate the interior, but the old man still lit a small candle to provide more light on the table in the center of the hut.

"Sit," the old man said, offering one of the chairs at the table. Slowly nodding, Percy took a seat at the table, and the old man swung around to the other side of the table to sit on the opposing seat.

"So," the old man began after a few silent moments, crossing his legs as shifted into a more comfortable position on his seat, "how have you been, Percy? I hope your trip was not too harsh."

Percy shifted uncomfortably in his own seat, his eyes locking on the old man he saw in sights. "What do you mean? What do you know of me and my trip, and how do you know my name?"

The old man chuckled, lifting a pitcher of water from a small nearby table. Filling two metal cups, he pushed one over to Percy's side of the table while taking a long draught from his own. Sighing, he put down the cup and looked at Percy with a whimsical look.

"Come now, my dear Percy – have you not noticed anything odd about this conversation? Anything at all? I understand you demigods are sometimes unnoticing of these sort of details, but I'm sure someone as smart as you can piece it all together."

Percy took a deep breath, thinking back to every memory he had since he had awoken on that beach, alone and injured. The climate of his environment. The geography of the land. His interactions with Alexis and the other people of this place…

* * *

 _"I am Perseus."_

* * *

With a start, Percy's vision honed in on the old man, the latter's expression becoming a smile as he saw the sudden start of realization manifest on the young demigod's face. There was only one reason he would say 'Perseus' instead of 'Percy'.

"I'm in Greece, and I've been speaking Greek," Percy simply said, stating it as much as a statement as he did a question. The old man nodded.

"Right in one."

"But you're speaking to me in English?"

The old man shrugged. "Naturally. It hardly makes a difference to me, and I'm not sure if every meaning you intend will actually translate into a second language, regardless of your natural fluency. It's simply… simpler."

Percy eyed his still-untouched metal cup of water. "So where in Greece are we?"

The old man rolled his eyes. "I'm afraid that is the wrong question, Percy. The right question is 'when' are you."

"Wait, when?" Percy suddenly stood up, his voice rising in volume. "Are you telling I'm not even in my own time?"

"Of course not. Serifos isn't particularly rich in the twenty-first century, but it is hardly this poor or backwards. You're in its distant past."

"How?"

The old man took another swig of water from his own metal cup. "An interesting question. Kronos had much to do with it, him and that fancy dagger of his he likes to prattle on about. Your father, Poseidon, played no small part in providing the power necessary. And of course, I was involved."

Percy narrowed his eyes at the old man. "What do you mean, you were involved? Exactly who are you?"

The old man leaned back in his chair. "I am Chronos."

Without a warning, Percy's hand slipped into his pocket and drew pen-form Riptide, quickly uncapping it. Chronos looked at the sudden motion with an exasperated expression before flicking a hand, blowing Percy into the wooden wall of the hut and knocking Riptide out of his hand. The sword skittered away from him.

"My dear boy! I am not Kronos – I am _Chronos_."

Percy glared up at the old man with a confused look.

"Oh, yes, I'm terribly sorry. Homonym and all," Chronos sheepishly said, taking another drink from his cup. "Sorry, I'm rather parched today. Anyway, you are well acquainted with the Titan Kronos – that is, K-R-O-N-O-S."

"And what does that have to do with you?" Percy spat out, still wary of the old man in front of him, who, from Percy's point of view, was considerably more dangerous than his elderly appearance gave him credit for.

"If you would let me finish, I will tell you." After a few moments of silence, he continued. "I am one of the _protogenoi_ – my Chronos is C-H-R-O-N-O-S. At any rate, I am older and far more experienced than the Titan Kronos, and I'm still not over him taking a name so similar, time-puns be damned."

Percy sat himself up against the wall, already feeling Riptide return to his pocket and an uncomfortable soreness over his back from the impact. " _Protogenoi?_ Primordial… so does this mean you're stronger than Kronos?" Chronos had a thoughtful expression as he rounded the table and helped pull Percy to his feet.

"In a sense, yes," Chronos finally answered as they both sat down at the table again. "But also, no." Seeing Percy's confused expression, he continued in his explanation. "Of course, as a far more ancient and, well, _primordial_ being, I represent a fundamental understanding of the fabric of time than a Titan could ever hope to be. However, with this understanding and power comes restriction and responsibility. I cannot intrude on mortal affairs quite as callously as Kronos, nor do I truly wish to."

Percy finally took a drink from his own metal cup of water, relishing in the cool delight of the water as it both refreshed him and healed his soreness. "So why are you helping me, then?"

"Helping? Well, I guess you could call this 'helping'. This was always meant to happen – it was preordained, and I have no power of that which is preordained. I can see the flow of time, the flow of all possible pasts, presents, and futures, but I am not at liberty to pick which is to happen. That power is solely reserved for the Fates. You being here today was fated to happen. All I did was make it happen."

Percy nodded. "Alright, so send me back then."

"No can do."

"Why?" Percy banged his fist on the table, rattling the metal cups. "My friends are in danger! Olympus is in danger! I have to save them!"

Chronos waved a hand. "Kid, I don't think you quite understand how the whole 'time' thing works. The future you left behind? Functionally, it doesn't exist anymore. Or at least, it hasn't existed _yet_. There's no one to save."

Percy looked stricken at the thought of his friends and loved ones not existing. None of them had been born yet.

"Don't worry, kid," Chronos said, seeing the anxious look on Percy's face. "Time has already priced you into history. Your arrival here was pre-ordained – it has always happened, and it had happened in your original timeline. You can't change history because that's just not how it works. It's a comforting thought, I think. No matter how badly you mess up here, it won't affect your present time."

Percy whipped around and looked at Chronos with a desperate plea. "But what about my future? Where I am in the present isn't good. I want to change that. I _need_ to change that."

Chronos looked thoughtfully at the ceiling of the hut. "Well, that's up to you and how you make use of your time here in the past. I can't say whether or not you will go back; not because I don't know, but because I'm not allowed to." He put a hand on Percy's shoulder in a sagely manner. "You should make use of the time you have been given by Fate."

"Oh yes," Chronos suddenly continued, "that reminds me. I have a prophecy for you, like all great heroes do." He cleared his throat.

 _Without friend and without foe, the hero is far from home._

 _For quite some time, this new land the hero must roam._

 _To find where one must go, one must seek the king,_

 _To find what one must do, the future to one must cling._

 _A great sacrifice must be made, as all worthy things require,_

 _For to gain the needed power, one must go through fire._

 _Your true enemy still waits, stirring as you go,_

 _But not now – later, for time is not your woe._

Chronos coughed a few times after finishing, taking a long drink from his cup to wet his parched throat. Percy stared into nothingness, his mind committing the prophecy to memory as he thought about its words and implications.

"Alright," he said out-loud, as much to Chronos as to himself. "The first two are pretty obvious. It seems like I'm going to have to explore ancient Greece for a bit. The next two are a little harder, but one of the kings around here can help me through this."

"And the next two?" Chronos asked, curious about the demigod's analysis.

"I'll… need to give something up for power," Percy hesitantly said. "We'll see about that when I get there, then."

"And the last two?"

"Easy," Percy said. "Kronos isn't ready to rise in this time yet, only in my present. And as you said, none of what has happened in my present has come yet, so I don't need to worry about any of that just yet."

"Astute observations, young one," Chronos said, nodding. "So, what will be the first move of Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon?"

Percy stared at the door of the hut for a few moments, sighing before he turned around to face the primordial in front of him.

"Who is the king that rules this place?"

* * *

 **A/N:** And the ball gets rolling… in a different setting altogether. Sorry for the late update, I was kind of busy last week (sleeping in and being lazy after finals) so I missed my Monday update time. This will be, I think, the only chapter other than the first one to be uploaded on not-a-Monday. It won't be a regular thing. I'm already working on Chapter 19 and that will be coming next Monday (5-28-18). Also, chapter 4 received a minor edit to have a small intro that leads into the chapter proper. Otherwise, it remains mostly unchanged, because I liked the chapter as it was originally, even if it is a little short.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, don't be afraid to leave a review – starting now, I'll try my best to answer all of them or respond to any comments. Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	19. An Arduous Journey

Percy sighed as he picked up his pack, looking around the small room that he had stayed in for the past few days. He left his room, tip-toeing through the small, still-quiet house. Opening the front door, he felt the warm summer morning air blow onto him as he stepped into the already-bustling roads of the town of Serifos. The town was, truthfully, little more than a village by his modern standards, with there only being a resident population of a few hundred people across the entire island. Still, most of the people inhabiting the island were concentrated in the small port area that Percy had originally arrived in, so he had taken to calling the town 'Serifos' and simply referred to everything else as 'the island'.

Greeting the passersby as he had normally did for the past week, Percy soon arrived at the small pier. Even though the sun was barely rising, the pier was busy with fishermen setting out for the day, as well as small-scale construction of boats. At the very end of the pier, Alexis stood alone, smiling and waving when he finally saw Percy approach him.

"Ah, you're up already," Alexis greeted. "I was just about to head back to tell you that I had secured a boat for you."

Percy nodded. "I woke up early today – I should be off, and I don't want to intrude on your hospitality." He paused. "Alexis, I cannot thank you enough for your warm generosity these past few days and for finding a boat for me."

"Nonsense," Alexis grinned, waving the appreciation off. "You worked for the money to buy this boat yourself – I simply made the purchase for you. As for lodging, that is no more than a common courtesy around these parts."

Smiling at the older man, Percy slung his pack into the small boat and then climbed into it himself.

"I have stored some rations and supplies onboard for you," Alexis continued. "Should you find yourself lost, there is a map with notable landmarks written down to guide you back to Serifos. Also, remember this one piece of advice that I can give – you must avoid the open waters around Myrtoan. They are infested with pirates these days."

Percy sat in the boat, one hand on an oar, as he looked at Alexis, lost for words at the other man's thoughtfulness.

"There's no need to thank me," Alexis said, seeing the expression on Percy's face. "You would do me honor by completing what it is you need to do, what you and Elder Chares discussed." He began backing away from the pier. "And if it's possible, I would appreciate it if you could stop by here once more before you return home."

Percy swung both of the oars on either side of the ship. "I will, Alexis." Nodding his good-bye, Percy began rowing, starting slowly as he began to move his arms in synchrony. Percy saw Alexis wave at him but concentrated on rowing. Soon, Alexis became hard to see on the pier, and eventually the whole pier became hard to see on the island of Serifos. Before Percy knew it, even the island was gone. He was well on his way now – on his way to the King of Mycenae, Perseus.

His namesake.

* * *

Modern rowers generally topped out around eleven miles an hour while rowing in a high-tech boat designed for maximum speed. Percy was neither a modern Olympian athlete, nor did he have access to the finest boats modern technology had to offer.

However, he was a child of Poseidon, and in the case of rowing on open water, that counted for more than both of the previous factors combined.

In the past, he had sailed Blackbeard's – that is, the son of Ares, Edward Teach's – _Queen Anne's Revenge_ at a brisk ten knots, which was an amply impressive result for an early-seventeenth century sailing vessel. However, with his current small rowing boat, he bested that feat with a far grander sixteen knots – some eighteen miles an hour.

With that, Percy could comfortably say he was making good time to Mycenae. However, in the interest of trimming time, Percy did take a short break to plot the most efficient course through the sea to his destination.

As he chewed on a loaf of bread, Percy took a look at the map that Alexis had stowed away for him. The easiest route would be to continue his path on open water, rowing through the Myrtoan Sea to reach Mycenae. However, given Alexis' only advice regarding his navigation of the Greek seas, he needed to find a different path.

He found only one alternate path – it cut through the top of the Myrtoan Sea to pass in between the mainland of the Peloponnese and a smaller island, Pityoussa. Given the more efficient route, it would actually save him time compared to the easier, but longer open waters route.

Percy rolled up the map as he defiantly bit into the last piece of bread. Even remembering Chronos' words about time, he still felt a measure of dread at the thought of his loved ones and friends one day being in peril. Quickly grabbing the oars again, Percy once more attuned himself with the beat of the seas and rowed in the direction he needed to.

* * *

As Percy began to approach Pityoussa, he frowned as he saw dangerous grey clouds in the distance. They covered the narrow strait, and the quiet sound of crackling thunder in the near distance did not bode well for navigation of the strait. Even with Alexis' advice, Percy was unsure of whether he should continue on the alternate path – after all, Alexis hadn't accounted for the possibility of a storm covering the only alternate path to his destination.

He was faced with three options. He could wait out the storm, change course onto the more open route, or brave the storm to continue his journey.

Percy immediately counted out the first option. He did not have enough supplies to last any longer than a short trip, and even a temporary deviation in his schedule could set him back considerably if anything unexpected happened. That left only around the storm into more dangerous waters or going through the storm itself.

The choice was taken away from Percy when an arrow landed uncomfortably close to him, spearing itself into the front of his boat just feet away from him. He whipped his head around, spying a small galley closing in on his own boat. The sails of the galley had no identifying markings on them.

"Oh, crap," Percy muttered to himself. "I guess Alexis was right about those pirates."

Quickly turning back, Percy began to row, his oars displacing massive amounts of water as he used as much strength as he could to accelerate as quickly as he could. However, because he had already rowed for nearly sixty miles, he could feel his arms fatiguing, and he could barely keep pace with the galley behind him, still threatening to gain on him. The galley was further bolstered by a favorable wind, which blew behind them to increase the speed of Percy's pursuing ship even as its oars propelled it forward.

"Into the storm it is," Percy whispered to himself, steeling himself for all that could lay ahead. Making haste for the storm, he willed the water around him to help as much as it could.

The storm was an unusual beast. It almost seemed reminiscent of a hurricane to Percy, which, even to a son of Poseidon, was a terrifying thought – no sane person, demigod or not, would willingly go into a hurricane if they were normal. Percy was no exception. Still, with his other option being getting captured and possibly killed or enslaved with the low chance of being able to fight off a ship full of pirates, the hurricane actually seemed like the safer option as a son of Poseidon.

Grey storm clouds gathered ahead as lightning flashed above and thunder shook the seas. The wind became erratic and powerful, blowing in every which way. The waves grew larger and more unpredictable, making navigation through the waters difficult. Torrential rain poured overhead, lowering visibility and increasing the fear factor of Percy's situation. Of course, even if he capsized, he would likely be able to survive, but he didn't fancy his chances of trekking a hundred miles on ancient Greek land without any supplies or preparation. It would be easier if his ship survived.

Percy's eyes widened as he spotted something in the distance. Craning his neck for a better angle, he saw a massive whirlpool right in front of him, threatening to swallow him in. Quickly taking his oars, he steered hard right, maneuvering the boat to dodge the threat. Quickly glancing behind him, he saw the pirate galley do the same, following closely as it mimicked his path.

As Percy began to consider his offensive options against his enemies, a flash of lightning off to his right side distracted him. Rather, the shadow illuminated _by_ the flash of lightning distracted him. He felt his hands tremble as he saw six distinct and massive heads in the cloudy distance. With a start, he realized the true danger facing him. It was not those pirates.

No, this storm was nothing natural – it was a product of two of the worst monsters to ever touch the seas.

Percy was facing Scylla and Charybdis once more. Only this time, he had no friends and allies to help him. He looked back at the whirlpool, which had to be none other than Charybdis. From his point of view, the whirlpool looked quite safe – a rather loaded observation that quite accurately described the level of 'screwed' Percy was – compared to the six-headed serpent in the distance. Unfortunately, the former option would involve the guaranteed destruction of his only vessel of transport, and while he was a prodigious swimmer, he had no misgivings about being able to swim to Mycenae.

Indeed, his only option was the low-percentage one: to face Scylla and come out on the other end intact.

He rowed toward _almost_ certain doom. Emphasis on the almost.

The six heads roared simultaneously as he approached, shaking the earth and seas as Percy felt his entire ship vibrate. Quickly looking behind him, he saw the galley begin to slow down its pursuit, likely because of hesitancy on the ship about following a small boat into the most famous gauntlet in Greek mythology.

It was too late for them anyway. One by one, each head of Scylla reached down and plucked people off of the deck of the galley. Even amid the rain and wind and lightning, Percy could hear the painful screams of men as they tried to run from the inevitable. Eventually, one head simply smashed itself onto the galley, shattering wooden planks and cracking the galley into two, each half quickly sinking into the depths of the Myrtoan Sea.

For his part, Percy stayed the course, trying to make as much distance as he could while Scylla was still pre-occupied with the pirates. Now, however, the pirates were all gone, and Percy was all that was left. He could already feel the heads beginning to turn towards him, and in the span of a few seconds, he felt a head start to come down towards him.

Instinctively, Percy turned and willed the water rise, creating a massive barrier of water that the head smashed itself against. Some of the water fell onto Percy and his boat, but it otherwise kept the head far from Percy himself. He was shocked by the immensity of the wall he had created, and by all indications, the heads of Scylla were as well.

Before either side could do anything more, a bolt of lightning split the sky, striking into Percy's water wall and using it as a conductor to hit directly onto Scylla herself, forcing all six heads to cry out and writhe in pain as the monster contorted and fell into the water. The ensuing shockwave from the lightning hitting and blowing apart Percy's wall blew his boat out of the water, sending Percy flying through the air as his boat broke apart underneath him.

Landing into the water, Percy quickly surfaced, spinning around to try and find his bearings. As he turned, he suddenly stopped spinning and looked upwards at the imposing sight of a trireme that was coming towards him. Compared to the galley that had been chasing him, the trireme was gigantic, with its many oars compensating for the much larger size.

The trireme pulled parallel to where Percy was floating in the water, and a rope was tossed over the side. Quickly holding onto it, Percy pulled himself to the deck. The moment he pulled his head over the plane of the deck, two pairs of armored arms reached towards and grabbed him.

Percy was forced to his knees as he looked up to see a man dressed in a set of armor.

"Who are you?" the man snarled.

Percy thought about playing the sarcastic card but decided against it after seeing the heavily armed nature of everyone onboard.

"I am but a humble traveler," Percy amciably began. "I was making my way to port when I was caught in the storm, and my boat capsized just before you arrived."

The armored man looked straight at Percy. "A likely story," the captain spat out, stepping back slightly. "Now let me tell you how I see it. We were chasing a slaver ship. We cornered them here, at Pityoussa, but they had the audacity to slip into a storm. Not just any storm, mind you – an unnatural storm caused by the two fiercest monsters of the sea. No one but the most experienced and skilled could have navigated that storm." The man paused. "And rarely do we see demigods here, especially ones so strong."

The man turned to one of the armed guards that had pulled Percy up. "Lock him up with the other," the armored man ordered. The armed guard nodded fervently, roughly grabbing Percy by the arm and dragging him down the decks. They came to stop by a small cage, and Percy was unceremoniously tossed into it.

Brushing himself off, Percy suddenly realized that he was not alone. In the corner of the small cage, an older man – middle aged, by Percy's estimation – clothed in patched blankets.

"Hello," Percy greeted. "My name is Perseus." The man coughed in response, nodding as a reply.

"You may call me P," the man looked up as he replied. Percy nodded, and took a seat by the older man as the trireme began to spin around.

"Do you know where this ship is going?" Percy asked, unsure of his next move.

P scoffed. "Mycenae, of course. This vessel is from the city's navy."

Percy leaned back into his seat. Things may not have turned out the way he had originally planned or even hoped, but as things were, there could be a silver lining in all of this. After all, he was still getting Mycenae, albeit by a different path.

* * *

The two exchanged conversation on the way to Mycenae. The older man knew many of the intricacies of the Mycenae Navy and the city itself, which Percy filed and stored away for potential future usage. Percy talked about how he escaped from Scylla and Charybdis, though he forewent some of the 'juicier' details like how he put up a massive wall made of water.

As the ship finally came to a stop, two guards came to their small cage. After unlocking the door, each of them cell's inhabitants had a brown bag thrown over their heads.

When Percy's bag came off, he found himself in an ornately designed throne room. The retainers were off to the side and quiet. The guards were about as stone-faced as one could, seemingly staring into nothing. In the middle of the room was a grand throne, and on the throne was a man.

The man was well-dressed, even if he wore similar armor to those around him. His armor was shiny and polished, with no scratches compared to the used quality of the guards' armor. He had rings on his fingers and the cloth he wore was of a noticeably higher quality, likely being made of an expensive fabric.

This man was dressed like a king. Logic dictated that he _was_ the king.

"Welcome," the man said, "to the royal court of Mycenae."

"Your hospitality is," Percy began, gesturing to his bindings, "truly unexpected."

"A necessary precaution. It is hardly every day that we receive such a powerful demigod such as yourself. And in any case, it was not my hospitality."

Percy furrowed his brows. "Then whose?"

"The king's."

That caught Percy by surprise. "Are you not the king?"

"Hardly." This time, the voice came not from the figure in front of him, but rather from his side. Turning, Percy saw P, his fellow inmate, grinning at him.

"This man," P continued, walking to the throne, "is little more than a decoy. A useful figure to have when I must leave the city but do not wish to announce that I am gone." A guard ran up to P and untied his binds, while another came and draped fine clothes on him. The man who had originally been sitting on the throne quietly left, a discreet grin on his face as P stood in front of the throne. Turning, P sat down onto the ostentatious seat of power, flexing his shoulders as he did.

"Now, Perseus, let us speak of your predicament," Perseus said, his eyes narrowing and his hands on the armrests of his throne.

* * *

"That's a rather fascinating tale," Perseus said, "but do you really expect me to believe it? Especially coming from a son of Poseidon?"

"You can believe what you want," Percy replied, "but this is what I need to do. The prophecy I have been given must be fulfilled, and I would like to do it with your help."

"Prophecy? Ha!" Perseus cried, pained laughter coming out from the man. "I would sooner believe in the entrails burnt by a street seer than a _prophecy_." He virtually spat the last word out.

"You are young, Perseus," Perseus rose, slowly walking towards Percy. "You have not yet seen much of the world. I do not know what lies your father has told, but he is not what you seem to think he is. Do you truly believe the gods care for you?"

"My dad has made his mistakes," Percy countered, "but he is not nearly as bad as you make him out to be."

"No?" Perseus questioned wistfully, a sly grin on his face. "What I have learned over many years is that you are wrong. Take the case of Medusa, for instance – a beautiful maiden that once took the fancy of your father. He _forced_ himself onto her in a sacred temple, and when the time came for punishment to be given, he ran, leaving her to fend off an enraged goddess by herself. She was punished for Poseidon's mistakes. In this case, neither of the Olympians involved were 'good' in any sense."

Percy looked at his namesake, unsure of how to exactly defend against the accusation. "A mistake, but one that he realizes he made."

"Then he shouldn't have made it!" Perseus roared. "And they shouldn't have their children – us – to end their mistakes for them! That's all we really are – free assassins to do the gods' dirty work."

With a sweep of his cloak, Perseus sat back down.

"Still," the older man mused, stroking his chin, "if you truly want to complete this quest of yours… yes, that would work. I have something for you." He gestured to a guard. "Bring them in."

The doors to the throne room opened, and two others strode in, escorted by a few guards. One was a man around Perseus' age, while the other was a woman around Percy's own age.

"Yes, this will do nicely," Perseus whispered to himself.

When Percy and the other two were the same distance away from the throne, the guards commanded them to stop.

"Now, Perseus," Perseus boomed, "since you so desperately want to complete a quest that I give you, I shall give you one to complete." Many of the other guards winced as they heard the tone of voice, and some had widened eyes as they heard their king's voice.

"I can only hope you all will survive this," Perseus continued.

"What is it?" Percy defiantly asked. A guard began to stride to Percy with a frown on his face, but Perseus halted the guard with a simple hand gesture.

"It's rather simple," Perseus replied. "I want you to steal a sword from the forges of Hephaestus."

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you all like this chapter. Some needed setup to lead into the rest of the arc. I'm not sure if there will be an update next Monday, as I'm also focusing on updating (and finishing) some of my other long-forgotten fanfics. Still, I'll try my best, and if not next Monday, there will be an update within two weeks.

Thanks for reading! Please review, favorite, and follow, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	20. A Precarious Onset

In the darkened room, Perseus sat alone on his throne. Moonlight crept in through the open main doors, but there were no guards, courtesans, or advisors around the King of Mycenae. His right elbow rested on the armrest of his seat, and his fingers curled around his cheek as he leaned on his right side, deep in thought.

The boy – a son of Poseidon with his own name – was an enigma. Even the manner of his arrival was strange…

* * *

 _Earlier_

 _"My lord!" the captain yelled, holding tightly onto the wooden bannister of the ship. "The storm shows no sign of abating! It cannot be natural."_

 _Perseus nodded, looking grimly at the violent waves and torrential downpour. "It can only be Charybdis and Scylla," the demigod replied, his stormy gray eyes scouring the terrain in front of him. "Advance forward at half-speed and keep us far from Pityoussa – we don't want to run afoul of Charybdis."_

 _"Why Pityoussa?" the captain asked, looking around. Perseus pointed to their left, the captain following his king's lead and widening his eyes when he saw what Perseus saw. In the distance, the shadow of Scylla's many heads could be seen against the clouds, exposing the massive size of the monster that lay in front._

 _"As bad as Scylla is," Perseus continued, "I'd rather take it and its many heads in a fight rather than a whirlpool."_

 _"Right, my lord," the captain replied, swallowing heavily as he looked at the behemoth of a monster the shadows promised in the distance. He turned to a messenger boy on the deck. "Tell the helmsman to slow to half-speed." The messenger boy quickly nodded and ran below deck._

 _Perseus could feel the ship becoming slower, but he paid it little heed as he stared at the threat in front of him. He narrowed his eyes as he saw a small boat riding among the rough waves, a single person onboard. Somehow, the little craft was surviving amidst an unnatural storm and ancient monsters. Behind the boat, there was a larger ship – though not as large Perseus' own trireme – following closely behind, the occasional arrow flying towards the boat it was chasing._

 _"My lord, what should we do?" the captain asked, his voice nervous in the face of fear. No captain wanted to wade into horrendous weather or into a battle, and it seemed that they were on the cusp of entering both at the same time._

 _"Hold position here," Perseus ordered, walking past the captain. Faintly, the captain smelled the distinctive odor of ozone, and just as he turned to see his king, he saw the demigod's body crackle with electricity, the bolts playing dangerously around him._

 _Perseus focused on the large monster known as Scylla, which had just finished destroying the pursuing galley. Now, all that was left against the ancient monster's might was the little boat that only had one person onboard. A head of Scylla pushed through the cloud to smash the small boat, but its occupant stood up and – to Perseus' amazement – an immense wall of water surged upwards, protecting the boat and its occupant from the head smash._

 _Without any further thought, Perseus willed lightning into existence, casting down one of the most powerful bolts he could summon. The lightning bolt split the sky, smashing into the impromptu water wall and conducting itself through the liquid medium into the monster. Scylla roared in pain as it fell into the water, while the water wall that the boat's occupant had hastily erected was blown apart from the sheer amount of energy that had coursed through it. The resulting shockwave created a massive wave that pushed even Perseus' trireme away, and by the time it was over, the storm was gone, and the sea was calm again._

 _"Do you see the small boat?" Perseus asked the captain. The other man shook his head, before a cry from the other side of the deck yelled out._

 _"There's someone in the water!" a crewman yelled, and Perseus smiled._

 _"Bring him onboard," Perseus ordered, already moving to the ladder at the end of the deck. "And get me some tattered clothing."_

 _"My lord?"_

 _Perseus turned to look at his captain. "I'm… interested in this man. I would have him believe that I am a fellow prisoner so that he will trust me and tell me who he is."_

* * *

Perseus sighed as he leaned back in his throne. His little ruse had worked perfectly – the young man he met in the prisoner's hold told Perseus all about himself. A son of Poseidon… perhaps not unexpected after the boy's display of power in the sea, but still strange. As a king, Perseus hadn't expected to find a hitherto unheard powerful demigod, and especially not a child of one from the Great Three.

And then there was the prophecy that boy had said he received. One that called for a quest to grant him power to defeat a threat. Perseus was more than just a little wary of the so-called "threat" – he knew, as well as anyone, the possibility of this threat being himself. The demigod was not forthcoming on details regarding his threat, thus heightening Perseus' suspicions that the other Perseus would be nothing more than a usurper to his throne.

Still, if there was to be a quest, Perseus had no doubt that fate would find a way for one to happen, and if not by him as a king, by another king. That would be undesirable. At the very least, if he issued the quest, Perseus had control over what the quest would entail.

And it was not as if Perseus was sending the boy on a dead-end suicide mission. In Hephaestus' forge, there was a sword to be stolen – there were likely many, in fact, if one considered that Hephaestus was indeed the god of metalworking and forges. The one that Perseus had in mind, however, would easily stand out from the rest, and would have to be guarded by perilous traps. If the boy survived, that would be a miracle in of itself. Surely that would have to count as going through fire.

Perseus closed his eyes as he thought about the boy's defense of his Olympian father. Perseus had his own run-ins with the god of the sea and was thoroughly unimpressed by his historical and present conduct. The Olympian, like his brothers and sisters, was little more than a spiteful being imbued with powers.

As he thought about Poseidon, Perseus' heart clenched when his line of thought inevitably led to Andromeda. His beloved. Perseus sighed once more.

Yes, the boy would one day learn that the gods cared nothing for the matters of mortals, and flaunted themselves as they wished, regardless of who they trampled on.

He would learn that they were all the same, and none of them were good.

* * *

Percy sat at the desk he had been provided in his room, quietly pondering his situation as the sun rose. The day before, he had shipwrecked after facing Scylla and Charybdis, only to be picked up by a Mycenean ship and brought to the destination he had been striving for. After an audience with none other than Perseus, King of Mycenae, Percy had found himself with a quest – and fellow questers. He had yet to actually talk to any of them, but they were there.

A knock on Percy's door startled him, rousing the demigod from his train of thought. Quickly rising, he strode over to the door and opened it, revealing an armored guard.

"Come with me," the guard gruffly said, and Percy nodded, grabbing his pack and leaving with the guard. The man did not talk as he led Percy through a series of paths in palace complex, and eventually, they emptied out into a courtyard. Percy recognized the two other people he had been paired with in the quest, as well as Perseus himself, standing with an entourage of advisors and guards.

"Ah, yes," Perseus greeted, seeing Percy approach. "The last member of my quest. Come." The king gestured for Percy to approach, and he did so.

"This," Perseus pointed to the older man, "is Alcaeus, and this," he now gestured to the female that was closer to Percy's age, "is Kassandra." Percy examined his companions in more depth than he was able to the day before.

The older man was close to fifty, if not already in his fifties. The sides of his hair were graying from their original black, and his skin was quite tan, with wrinkles evident from many days in the sun. Still, his physique was in top shape, and he looked ready to wrestle with a bull.

The younger woman had to be close to twenty, though Percy was unsure whether she was north or south of that figure. She had shoulder length light brown hair, and her dark brown eyes stared into Percy even as he examined her.

"Now," Perseus continued, clapping Percy on the back, "these are the people that will be joining you on your, ah, prophesized quest."

Percy turned to face the king. "And where would Hephaestus' forge be? I can't imagine that the three of us could infiltrate Olympus itself."

Perseus nodded. "Of course not. But," the king said as he leaned in, "that's not where I plan for you to go. No. Hephaestus has a multitude of other forges, and the one I have in mind is none other than Lemnos, the second greatest forge, outside of Olympus itself, in the world. The island is located in the north Aegean, and it will be quite the journey to get there."

Gesturing with his fingers, Perseus ordered one of the armored guards, this one with a plume on his bronze helmet, to come up. "Georgios will escort you to the royal armory. You'll be equipped with only the finest weaponry before setting off on your quest."

* * *

The royal armory was about as grand as Percy had expected. A vast room, it was filled with racks and shelves of weapons, armor, and other gear. The sheer scope of the room meant that it was filled with nearly every conceivable item that any adventurer would ever need. Upon entering, each of the three questers were given a rugged leather pack and told to pick whatever they needed. Alcaeus and Kassandra immediately went about, grabbing swords, bows, arrows, daggers, potions, rope, and any other useful amenity they could use.

Percy, on the other hand, really needed no extra weapons – his Riptide was enough. Still, he pocketed a small dagger, just in case. He thought about the extensive bronze armor that was tempting to take but thought better of it – he had never really fought in armor, and it would only slow him down. It was also too bulky to easily carry. He contented himself with a nice pair of sandals, which he slipped on, a new tunic and pair of pants, and none other than the cap of invisibility itself. Percy wasn't sure if this was the same cap that Annabeth would eventually come to own, but given how well that one had served both her and him, he had no doubt he could finally ample utility for this one.

Finally, the three of them met up at the entrance of the armory, the other two having packs that brimmed with items. Nodding to the other two, Percy led the way out of the armory, and the guard, Georgios, led them back to the throne room.

"So, I take it you are all ready?" Perseus asked. Percy nodded, as did his two companions.

"Good. There is no time to waste – the Summer Solstice is within the month, and it will be your best chance at entering Lemnos and Hephaestus' forge undetected. You should be off, for you have no time to waste."

* * *

Percy sighed as he hiked up the hill, the almost-summer sun baring upon his exposed skin to heat him. In front of him, his fellow adventurers moved with little difficulty, but Percy had to stop, popping open a flask and taking a swig of water. He stared backwards, barely able to see Mycenae in the distance.

"Do you require a break?" Alcaeus' deep voice sounded from behind Percy.

"No," Percy replied, turning around, "I think I'll be alright. Let's continue." Alcaeus nodded, and Kassandra led the way as they continued to march on the hilly terrain.

* * *

As the sun began to set, Alcaeus came to a stop and took a look at their surroundings.

"This will be a good place to stop," Alcaeus explained, setting down his pack. Kassandra nodded, and Percy acquiesced to his other two companions. As the sun fully set, Kassandra started a fire as Alcaeus brought back a dead deer slung over his shoulder. For his part, Percy conjured as much water as he could out of the air, filling canteens with fresh water even as it tired him out further.

The three of them sat around the fire in the dark, chewing on cooked deer meat, courtesy of Alcaeus, and drinking the water that Percy had summoned. Finally, Percy broke.

"Alright, we can't keep in silence every day for the rest of this quest," the demigod spoke up, causing the other two people to look up at him. "Why don't we introduce ourselves and, I don't know, talk about why we're here. I'll start."

"But we already know each other's' names," Alcaeus stated, slowly chewing on his stick of deer meat.

"I know," Percy replied, "but we should still do this. It will be good to learn more about one another."

"Yes, I agree," Kassandra whispered. "It will be good to learn more about one another so that we can more easily trust each other when we have to fight and kill enemies."

Percy grimaced. "Sure. Anyway, I'll go first. My name is _Perseus_ and I am, as you both know, a son of Poseidon. I have been given a quest to obtain power that I need to defeat a threat to those I love." The demigod paused and gestured at Alcaeus. "Now you go."

The older man shifted in his seat. "Very well. I am Alcaeus. I hail from Pylos. I lived there, happily, with my wife and children, but they were separated from me when we were invaded. I was sold into slavery, only for my slaver's vessel to be intercepted by a Mycenean ship. From there, I was brought into this quest by King Perseus. I hope to earn my freedom after I complete this quest, so I can find my family." He paused, looking at Kassandra.

The young woman sighed, setting down her mostly-eaten stick of deer meat. "I am Kassandra. I am from Mycenae. When I was young, my parents were killed, and after a few years of roaming the streets, I was brought into the care of King Perseus. He gave me a roof and education, and in return, I served him as best I could. Because of that, he called me to join the quest, and I could not refuse."

Percy leaned back on his stone seat, looking at his two companions. "We all have very different stories," he began, "but we are now all together on this journey. I don't want to lose anyone on this quest, so let's work together as best as we can to make sure that we all make it through this." The other two facing him nodded.

"What is this," Alcaeus hesitantly began asking, "threat you speak of? You make it sound very strong to require a special power to defeat, but I have not heard of such a terror."

Percy looked down at the ground. "I come… from a faraway land, and my people are threatened by this enemy. I have some time to train and find a way to defeat it, but one day, I will have to return to face the threat head on. I can only hope that whatever power I find here will be sufficient, or those I care about, and love will suffer and pay the price for my failure."

The son of Poseidon was shocked to feel a strong, rough hand gently rubbing his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Alcaeus standing over him, eyes twinkling at him as the older man looked down.

"I understand your plight, young Perseus," Alcaeus said, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. "I wish that I had your drive and determination – if I did, perhaps my family would be safe today." He wiped the tears off his cheeks. "I will help you," he stated with bravo. "I will do my best to see that you will succeed where I did not."

Percy smiled at the older man. "Thank you," the demigod whispered. Alcaeus simply nodded. The older man turned to look at Kassandra.

"What say you, warrior of King Perseus?" Alcaeus asked.

"Well," the woman began wistfully, a playful smile dancing on her face, "considering that I don't want to die on some miserable island in the Aegean Sea, I suppose that my best option here is to go for the highest chance of survival, and that means working with you two. So yes, I will help you, Perseus, to survive this so you can find what you need to find."

Percy's smile grew wider. He was in an unknown world, in an unknown land, and in an unknown time, but even so, he now had allies in the fight against Kronos. Now, he had real hope that he could begin and fulfill this quest, to complete the prophecy given to him by Chronos and to find the power he needed to end the war that ravaged his time. Even with the odds stacked against him, with his own position so unstable and uncertain, Percy felt, for the first time since arriving in this ancient land, that he could make a possible future where he won against Kronos into a reality.

He would do his best to succeed. The world counted on it.

* * *

 **A/N:** Slightly shorter chapter, but I think a couple of things that needed to get started got started here. I hope that, especially with some of the banter, I am kind of channeling a bit of Riordan's lighter tone while crafting my own style that's distinctive from the original series. Basically, I'm going for a darker version of the Percy Jackson series, but I'm still hoping that it retains some elements of the original works. Feedback on whether I'm succeeding at doing this would be very helpful.

Also, I need some help – I'm not satisfied with my summary of this story, which has changed twice in the past month as I keep reworking it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I'll try to update weekly, but if I can't, I will try to update within intervals of two weeks.

Thanks for reading! Please follow, favorite, and review, and stayed tuned for the next chapter!


	21. A Rising Current

Percy kept his head low and the cloak up as he was briefly accosted by one of the guards manning the gate. The guard patted him up and down before checking his mouth and finally pushing him down the road. After being shoved, Percy stumbled forward and joined a crowd of people dressed similarly to him – non-descript tunics and cloaks covering themselves – that had already entered the city.

Beside him, he could feel both Alcaeus and Kassandra bumping into him, telling him that they had made it through as well. As Percy continued forward, the walls of the gate fell away to reveal an expansive square and market. Percy stopped, feeling passerby bumping into him as he stood there in awe. At the top of the hill where the market roads led lay a massive palace, which Percy knew one day would become more.

"Welcome to Athens, young Perseus," Alcaeus whispered, stopping beside him. "The glorious city of King Theseus."

Behind him, Kassandra also came to a stop, looking around.

"We should not stay here," the young woman muttered, still wary of her surroundings. "Let's get on with our business here and be done with this city."

"Why, what's wrong with Athens?" Percy questioned, looking behind to his two companions. Kassandra looked at Alcaeus and grimaced, while the latter shrugged and nodded.

"Let's go to a less crowded area first," Alcaeus suggested, leading the group to the entrance of a deserted alleyway. It was filled with filth and garbage, but devoid of humans, which suited their needs perfectly.

"You're really not from around here," Alcaeus said, a grimace playing on his face. Percy chuckled a little before his expression returned to normal after seeing Alcaeus' downcast look.

"Athens," Alcaeus began quietly, "hasn't been facing good times recently."

"How so?" Percy asked, looking out of the alleyway and around the marketplace. With no frame of reference for how pre-classical society would look like, he thought that the market was reasonably bustling with business.

Kassandra spoke up before Alcaeus could respond. "My King has received calls of help from neighboring cities by Athens. There is a group of marauders – no, more like invaders – that are sacking and conquering nearby lands. Of course, Mycenae has never received a request of assistance from Athens," Kassandra grimaced. "I'm sure King Theseus would never deign to ask for help from his greatest rival. Still, Athens has surely been plagued by similar pains."

"Well, it looks alright," Percy said, before remembering the gate. "Mostly alright."

"Looks can be deceiving, young Perseus," Alcaeus whispered, before straightening up. "At any rate, we should finish with our business here. It's best not to linger after talking about such matters." They stepped out of the alleyway with little fanfare.

"Everyone have their lists?" Alcaeus asked. The other two nodded. Percy took a look at his own list. It was filled with hastily-scribbled items that would come in handy during their journey – some small knives, rope, a new pot, a new sword to replace the one Alcaeus had broken, a new quiver, and, as a luxury, some salt. Percy could finally appreciate the essential nature of the last one – even a pinch of salt could a long way for his palate.

"We meet back here in three hours," Alcaeus ordered. He pointed at the fountain at the center of the large square. "Don't be late."

With that, Alcaeus and Kassandra both slipped into the busy crowd, instantly disappearing from Percy's sight. Sighing, he tucked away the list and headed for the first item.

To his surprise, there weren't that blacksmiths or weapon shops as Percy would've expected for a city of Athens' size. It took him some time before he finally found a small armory shop. However, as he stood in front of said shop, he frowned. It was evident that business was slow for the shop – the merchandise hung behind the shopkeeper was of dubious quality, there was a conspicuous lack of customers combined to the stalls and stores around it, and more than one blade hanging from the shop's front rack was poorly maintained or rusted. Likewise, there was not much merchandise at all, with many of the sheaths and holders in the store empty of any weapon.

Still, it was the only shop Percy had found after a half-hour's search, so with little ado, he stepped forward, placing his hands on the stall's wooden counter.

"How can I help you today, young man?" the shopkeeper asked, his eyes lighting up when he saw someone approach his stall before they narrowed slightly. The shopkeeper was an average-looking man – black hair, dark eyes, and weathered and tanned skin – but the quality of his clothes told a story that was obvious even to someone as young and inexperienced as Percy. They were of a decent quality but were weathered and barely holding up, which spoke of lost past wealth and recent hard times.

"I'm looking for throwing knives," Percy replied, looking behind the man to the weapons hanging on a wooden board. "I would like to see your inventory of them."

The man behind the counter looked up and down Percy with his narrow eyes before shaking his head.

"Where are you from?" the man asked, his expression looked downtrodden compared to his initial reaction.

Percy thought quickly about his answer. He could hardly say America, and he certainly didn't want to draw any attention to Serifos or the kind people that had brought him in when he needed it. "Mycenae," he finally replied.

"No can do, kid," the man gruffly said, his voice losing much of its "friendly shopkeeper" quality and openness. "I don't have any inventory to sell to you."

Percy frowned. "Anything at all? I mean, I can see some weapons behind you that I would be interested in purchasing."

The shopkeeper grunted and pulled a cloth over his public inventory. "Nothing's for sale here, kid. You better scram if you know what's good for you."

Looking taken aback, Percy slowly nodded, before looking to his right and left. "In that case, do you know where I can find another store that can sell me some throwing knives?"

Shaking his head, the shopkeeper looked at Percy with a serious expression. "There's no one in this city that can sell you anything. King's orders – no weapons can be sold to anyone other than the city guards. I was hoping you were from them, but it's obvious that you aren't."

Percy slowly nodded, thanking the shopkeeper for his time as he looked back down at his list. Many of the items were resupplying for their weapons, but there were still a few items that he could get. Nodding to himself, Percy stowed away the list and walked down the bustling street.

Unbeknownst to Percy, as he turned and stepped away, the shopkeeper gestured to a cloaked figure across the street. The cloaked figure walked to the spot Percy had just vacated, and the shopkeeper leaned in to whisper into the figure's ear. Nodding, the figure silently slipped away in the direction Percy had left in.

* * *

As Percy walked down the street to find another weapons store – it wasn't that he didn't trust the shopkeeper, though he didn't particularly, but rather that his list was dominated by weapons and weapon-related items that it didn't hurt to try to find another shop that could meet his needs – he felt a sense of foreboding fall on him. It was the kind he felt before he went into a fight, so instinctively, he slipped one hand into his pocket to grab Riptide.

Before pulling it out, he stopped. Even if his instincts were right and there was indeed a threat behind him, he had no idea where said threat would come from. He needed more information before he could act. He pulled his hand out of his pocket bereft of the magical pen, continuing to walk with no indication that he had thought anything was wrong.

Casually, Percy turned into a busy street full of stalls and vendors, with crowds of people looking at the various wares and goods of each open-air shop. Pretending that he was just a regular person looking for something to buy, Percy peered into a stall every now and then before finally coming to a stop at a particular vendor that sold metal mirrors. Ignoring the merchant, who was busy selling a larger mirror to a wealthy-looking couple, Percy inspected a smaller metal hand mirror, picking it up and presumably using it to fix his hair and check the state of his clothes.

In actuality, he was carefully angling the mirror to view the people behind him. Unlike the mirrors he was used to in the twenty-first century, the metal hand mirror he held was rather difficult to use, with the reflections beyond a certain distance being grainier and harder to make out than in a modern mirror.

Slowly maneuvering the hand mirror, Percy panned across the various people that stood behind him. Many were simple shoppers that were looking at various wares, talking to others, or discussing prices with merchants. None of the figures he saw jumped out at him as suspicious until he panned over to the other side of the street.

By one of the other vendors – one selling cloth – there was a cloaked figure, their head covered by a hood that kept also their face dark and hidden, especially in light of Percy's less-than-optimal mirror. The figure was ostensibly looking at a rack of cloths, but Percy saw their head turn towards him every few seconds, as if keeping updated on his movements.

Percy stayed there for a few more moments before finally putting the hand mirror back where he had gotten it. Ignoring the dirty stare from the merchant, who was likely disappointed that Percy had no purchased any of his ware, the demigod stepped back out onto the street and began to make his way down the road. As he walked, Percy tripped slightly, accidentally bumping into a passerby walking the other way.

"Hey, watch it!" the man said, his expression showing his annoyance. Percy turned around to apologize, but his eyes immediately, almost naturally, began to look past the man to see the cloaked figure just down the street, also walking in the same direction. After a split second, Percy's eyes flicked back to the man and he nervously smiled as he apologized. Enduring a short admonishment from the other man, Percy turned and began to walk again, now assured that his instincts had not failed him – he was indeed being followed, and he had correctly deduced who was following him.

Now, it was time to figure out why.

Quickly turning, Percy walked into a side alley, crouching behind an empty barrel standing on the side of the alley as he discreetly watched the traffic of people flow back and forth on the main street. Before long, the cloaked figure turned at the same juncture, looking down the apparently empty alley. Without much ado, the figure turned into the alley. Before they had taken more than two steps past the barrel, Percy launched himself upwards, pinning the figure against the wall.

"Who are you" he growled, "and why are you following me?"

Tugging the figure's hood off, he was shocked to find the visage of a stunned young girl – younger even then himself – staring back at him. Her dark shoulder-length hair fell from the small bundle it had been put into under the hood, and she futilely squirmed as she tried to wriggle out of Percy's iron-like grip.

"Tell me now!" Percy sternly commanded, his eyes darting to the street every few seconds to ensure that no unwanted attention had been drawn to this particular side alley.

Breathing deeply, the young girl recomposed herself and stared at Percy with two narrowed eyes.

"I could ask the same of you, _stranger_ ," she bit out, saying the last word almost like a curse. "It's not often we get outsiders who want to buy our weapons, and it's never for a savory purpose."

"Who's we?" Percy asked, his own eyes narrowing in return. "I thought weapons in Athens could only be bought by Athenians anyway."

The girl laughed, a sound that struck Percy as being more exasperated than humorous. "No,most Athenians can't buy weapons at all. _We_ represent true Athenians, not the scum that live in palaces and work to crush the people of this city under their heavy boot."

"True Athenians?" Percy muttered to himself, his brow furrowing with thought. "What are you," he spoke up, "rebels? I thought Theseus built this city."

"Theseus has lost his way!" the girl yelled, anger burning in her eyes. "He can no longer be called the rightful king of Athens. Like with a forest that is overgrown, a fire must burn out that which must be destroyed for life to continue. Theseus is the overgrowth, and _we_ are the fire."

Percy wasn't sure what to make of the girl that he had pinned against the wall.

"That's quite the goal," Percy finally said. "Do you tell this to everyone you try to tail?"

"Oh, not at all," the girl replied, her voice sweet and calm unlike before. "Just the ones I need to distract."

"Distract?" Percy asked out loud before turning. He barely turned in time to see a figure behind him swing an object into his head, turning his world to darkness.

* * *

Percy groaned as he slowly awoke. The last thing he remembered was being hit upside the head in an ambush after he had ambushed his follower himself. It was stupid of him to think that there was only one person following him, but it was a mistake he vowed to never make again.

That was, as Percy thought when he looked around his surroundings, if he ever had the chance to not make that mistake again. He seemed to be in a makeshift cell of sorts – All four walls and the roof were made of stone bricks, and there was a reinforced wooden door set in one of the walls. Two small flickering candles provided the only sources of light for the room, and Percy found himself sitting on the stone floor. His hands were chained in front of him, and he had been stripped of his outer cloak and his armor.

All in all, it was an unfavorable situation, if not for two key reasons. The first was the comforting feeling of a pen in his pocket. Riptide had definitely been removed from his body by whoever had captured him when he was unconscious, but the properties of the sword made it so that he could always rely on it being there when he needed it. The second reason, and possibly the even more important one, was the small drop of water that fell on Percy's head as he sat there.

The detriments of a leaky roof to property valuation notwithstanding, Percy grinned as he felt the condensation of the stone bricks around him. The entire room was damp – there was water everywhere, and he could pull it towards him with ease. He did so, feeling his powers surge as the water pooled into a small puddle behind him. Making sure that no one could see the water if they unexpectedly opened the door, he pulled more and more water towards himself, gathering it for the critical point when he could use it.

Percy tested his shackles again, smiling as he felt the metal links twist slightly as he weakly pulled. His water-strengthened muscles proved to be more than a match for rusty metal, and he filed that away from when he would truly need it.

His first instinct was to use his advantages to smash his way out of his cell and wherever he was, but a small voice – one that almost sounded like Annabeth's whenever she fell into what he sometimes liked to call her "Athena mode" – told him otherwise, telling him to wait out whatever his captors had planned so they could show their hand before he showed his.

So Percy sat back, his head leaning against the stone wall as water accumulated in the bricks behind him. He was going to bide his time and wait for an opportune moment when he knew more about what predicament he was in.

He didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later, a small latch on the door opened, and a pair of eyes peered in. They flicked to Percy sitting against the wall, and the latch closed before the door opened. Outside stood two guards, each wearing padded armor with a sword hung at their belt. Both looked to be young – Percy's age, if not a little older – and confident.

"Get up," the first guard said, his voice rather high-pitched, signaling his youth. Acquiescing, Percy pushed himself up and walked towards the open door. He kept the water he had pooled up behind him, snaking it through the bricks to keep it hidden from the guards. As they closed the cell door behind him, neither noticed the bricks near the bottom of the frame of the door darkened with moisture.

The hall was made of the same stone bricks as Percy's cell, and after a minute of walking, they came to a stop in front of a wooden door on Percy's right. It was built and reinforced much the same as his own cell door, but unlike that one, there was no lock on this particular door. One of the guards knocked twice, prompting a quiet "you may enter" from the other side. As Percy and his guards stepped through the open door, Percy took in the sight in front of him.

There was a long table with five people sitting behind it. To the sides of the room, there were a few guards and people dressed in more casual clothing. Percy eyed the girl he had caught following him as one of those standing to the side of the room. The girl looked at him intensely as he approached the table. When he got to the middle of the room, the guards grabbed his shoulders and held him still.

"Welcome," the middle of the five, a woman that looked to be in her early thirties and was the oldest in the room, spoke up. The room fell silent. "You must have many questions."

Percy nodded. "Who are you people and why have you brought me here?"

"We are… patriots," the woman answered, choosing her words carefully. "Citizens of Athens that are committed to seeing its future prosperity."

"That's very vague."

"Indeed. Yet times such as these call for such measures."

Percy sighed, feeling the conversation freezing in the face of such answers. "Alright, let's get back on track. Why did you bring me here?"

The woman put her hands together. "Well, that's better explained by someone else. Galene," she called as she turned to face the side. Percy saw as the girl he had ambushed nod and walk to behind the table, standing by the woman.

"We've been keeping track of how many weapons the city guards have," the girl, Galene, explained. "To do so, we've monitored every weapons merchant in the city."

Percy thought about the explanation he had been given. "But why?" he finally asked. "What's your goal here?"

Galene turned to the older woman, who nodded her assent, before she turned back to Percy.

"The overthrow of Theseus' tyrannical and unjust rule over Athens. To this end, we must keep track of all of the weapons our enemies have, as well as secure a supply of our own weapons to arm ourselves when the time comes."

Percy nodded. "So you were telling the truth when you were distracting me in that alley?" Galene nodded. Percy sighed before he continued. "At any rate, I want no part in this crusade of yours. I'll just be on my way."

Percy turned to leave, but both of the guards behind him held up their hands to stop him, placing their other on the hilt their swords. Looking around, Percy saw the various other guards in the room draw their swords. Turning back around, he saw the woman and the other four at the table looking at him stoically, while Galene's expression almost was laughing at him.

Shaking his head, Percy flicked his fingers and willed the water that he had built up from his cell and walk to the room he was in now to burst out of the stones. A near torrential outpour slammed into both of the guards in front of him, while smaller streams shattered the blades of every sword in the room. Summoning some of the water to himself, Percy inhaled as he felt strength fill his muscles and tore apart his shackles like paper.

Facing the table, Percy drew Riptide, prompting Galene to leap in front of the table and brandish her own daggers. Her expression was no longer mocking – instead, it now looked worried as the Percy faced her with his sword drawn. Behind him, the water he had accumulated gathered to form a shroud of sorts, with it having returned from beating all of the armed guards in the room.

"Interesting," the woman said, standing up for the first time. "A son of Poseidon."

Neither Galene nor Percy shifted their focus and attention in the slightest, each staring at the other to see who would make the first move.

"Put your… weapons down," Galene ordered, unsure what to call the shroud of water that protected Percy.

"I could say the same for you," Percy replied, looking at the girl. "Am I free to leave?"

The woman behind Galene spoke up. "Of course. We do not have the strength to stop you. Galene, stand down." Galene hesitated for a moment before dropping out of a combat stance and sheathing her daggers. As a sign of reciprocity, Percy re-capped Riptide and put it in his pocket, but he kept the water behind him ready.

"However," the woman continued, "I think this could work out to our mutual benefits. I propose a partnership."

"A partnership?" Percy replied. "And what would this partnership entail?"

The woman smiled. "Why, one that would make good use of your powers, of course."

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, I finally finished writing this chapter. I apologize for the long delay. I had some issues writing anything for the past few weeks, but I hope I've gotten over that hump.

This chapter ran longer than expected so I've split it up into two. The next one should come out the Monday after this chapter is posted. Future updates might be a little slower because I'm trying to write for a bunch of other stories right now, but I'm still aiming for weekly updates on this story.

Thank you for reading! Please follow, favorite, and review, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	22. A Collapsing Stage

Galene still eyed him with strangely. Percy knew that she turned to look at him when she thought he wasn't but said nothing about it as they walked down the dark and damp hallway. It was patently obvious that she wasn't enthusiastic about the discussion that had just taken place, but it didn't matter – she was a loyal member of the Athenian resistance and she would follow her orders.

For his part, Percy was more worried about his companions' reactions to the idea that, while shopping for goods, he had inadvertently joined a rebellion.

* * *

 _Earlier_

 _"A raid?" Percy questioned._

 _"Yes," the woman responded, a small smile playing on her lips. "The main armory of the Athenian army, where Theseus has kept all of his soldiers' weapons and armor. If we can take it, then we can supply our forces while starving his out to force him to either negotiate or surrender. This is critical to our survival."_

 _Percy crossed his arms. "So why haven't you done it yet?"_

 _The woman sighed. "His armory is heavily guarded. We do not have the ability to break through its defenses without heavy losses, but with you and your power, it should not be an issue at all."_

 _"Theseus is also a demigod. I don't want to fight him if I don't have to."_

 _Galene snorted. "Theseus has not been seen in years, even during invasions and rebellions. I doubt he will for another insurrection. And why would he? He cares nothing for the plight of our people, their cries of fear, their hunger, or their safety. No, I don't expect that monster to show at al-"_

 _The woman cleared her throat as she looked sharply at her younger subordinate, causing Galene to quickly look away._

 _"As Galene was saying," the woman continued, "Theseus is unlikely to be a threat. And even if he appears, you should be able to turn the tide against his forces and bring him to a stalemate with our own forces backing you up."_

 _The woman sighed, having said her part. "Honestly, there is no reason that you would help us. We have nothing to offer you except for an amount of gold and maybe some of the weapons you needed. If you wished to leave, we could not stop you – in fact, we would not, because that would be your decision. But we do hope that you will help us. Our situation is more desperate than it may seem, and this is our last chance to strike at Theseus and his tyranny."_

 _Percy chuckled a little. "All that after I've been knocked on the back of the head and brought here against my will?" At this, Galene sheepishly looked away while the woman laughed._

 _"Indeed, our methods are crude but effective. We needed to verify your intentions and we have done so – there is nothing left for us to do but to ask for your assistance. What do you think?"_

 _Falling silent, the room awaited with bated breath at the demigod, who stood in the center of the room with his eyes closed._

 _Percy knew the risks and dangers of joining their endeavor. He could already hear Kassandra's exasperated tone and Alcaeus' deep disapproving voice. He knew that he had a quest to complete, a mission of the utmost importance such that nothing should hinder his swift progress._

 _And still, he wanted to stay and fight. Because deep in his heart, he knew it was right. Before the woman in front of him had even warned him of the dangers of staying and of the minuscule rewards for doing so, he knew what he had to do. Even if the monetary reward was small, he knew that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't try._

 _"I will help you," Percy finally replied. He kept his face impassive as he saw everyone else's light up – even Galene's, though she turned as she saw Percy looking at her._

 _Yes, this is what it meant to be a hero – helping those in need when there was no benefit for him._

* * *

"Where exactly are you taking me?" Percy asked. Galene didn't slow down at all, not even bothering to look back at the demigod.

"Outside," she said simply. "You know where we will meet tonight to begin the attack. Go about your day as normal and prepare yourself to fight." At the end of a long and windy hallway was a locked wooden door. Galene fished a key out of a small leather bag she hung from her belt, and without a quick turn, opened the door. Bright light flooded Percy's eyes, which had adjusted to the darkness of the environment he had been taken captive in, and he instinctively looked away.

"Your freedom beckons," Galene gestured, her voice containing a hint of humor at Percy's reaction. In return, he simply smiled, nodding his ascent as she turned away. With a step, he walked out into the bright sun, finding himself looking at a nearly empty street, devoid of passerby and shop stalls. Hearing the door creak, he turned to see the door close with a click of the lock.

Sighing, he turned back to the street and began to make his way back to the city center. Judging based on the position of the sun, with it having moved to a lower position later in the day, he could tell that the three hours that he, Alcaeus, and Kassandra had agreed on had likely passed.

He couldn't wait to get an earful of what they had to say when they found out why.

* * *

"You did WHAT?" Kassandra roared. Alcaeus pinched the nose of his bridge, looking tiredly at the young demigod in front of him.

"Why don't we take this somewhere quieter?" Alcaeus muttered. Percy looked around to see strange stares being shot in their direction. Kassandra nodded, and the group moved to the same alleyway they had used earlier that day.

"Perseus," Alcaeus began before Kassandra could continue her tirade, "do you realize the magnitude of what you have done? You will have declared yourself an enemy of King Theseus, ruler of Athens, and if either Kassandra or I get implicated as part of this rebellion, even King Perseus could be seen as supporting a rebel faction to one of his rivals. I sincerely hope that you have "

Percy froze for a second. He hadn't thought about the potential blowback of his actions on the other Perseus, but he quickly recovered. "Well, if neither you or Kassandra fight with me and the rebels, then it'll be fine. You two don't need to be in the city while I fight with the rebels."

Kassandra scoffed. "As if. We are tasked to aid you on your journey, and we cannot do that if you are slain by Theseus' blade." Alcaeus nodded behind the young woman.

"Indeed. We will be by your side to protect you wherever this quest takes you. Even if it takes us into the fire and fury of Athens itself." Alcaeus leaned in closer, putting his hands on Percy's shoulders as the older man stared straight into the young demigod's eyes. "You are our leader – we will trust your judgement and follow you wherever you go."

Percy felt heartened by Alcaeus' words and felt his resolve strengthen.

"Alright," he said out loud, gathering both of his companions' attention. "We will join the fight tonight, and we will free this city."

Kassandra grimaced but bowed her head. Alcaeus silently nodded. Percy smiled.

They were going to fight for freedom, justice, and everything that was good in this twisted world they lived in.

* * *

Nightfall came quickly, and soon Percy found himself, along with Alcaeus and Kassandra, huddled in a small deserted building near the foot of the hill where the royal armory was located. Galene was there too, along with nearly two dozen men and women. They were clad in assorted gear, ranging from rusted metal plating to leather padded armor. Some just were plain cloth clothes, but they all had a blade of some type hanging from their belts. Evidently, this was the fighting force of the Athenian resistance.

"This is it?" Kassandra questioned out loud, her tone incredulous. "You expect this motley crew to take on trained city guards?"

Galene huffed. "I'll have you know that we are some of the best fighters in the city."

Kassandra critically eyed the younger girl. "And I suppose you're a great fighter, squirt?"

Galene squinted back. "You want to test me?"

Kassandra began to unsheathe her blade before Alcaeus clapped his hands together.

"Ladies, ladies, we are all on the same side here," the man diplomatically said, putting on a nervous grin as he waved his hands. "Let us not fight amongst ourselves in here before we fight the enemies out there."

Kassandra let her blade slide back into her sheath while Galene snorted. Still, the two fell silent.

"So, uh, what are we waiting for now?" Percy hesitantly spoke up. "How long are we going to stay here?"

Galene turned to the demigod. "We are only one of two groups in this attack. When the other force – which is stronger and more numerous," Galene turned to eye Kassandra while emphasizing her words, "attacks, then we will commence our own assault."

"And how will we know when they attack?" Percy questioned.

Before Galene could answer, a massive explosion rocked the small building, causing dust to fall from the ceiling and the small candles that lit the room to shake, with some falling over and going out.

"That's how," Galene replied, smiling at Percy.

* * *

Percy couldn't believe what he was seeing when he left the small building with everyone else in their group. The royal armory of Athens, which was built on the flat top of a hill, had smoke billowing into the sky. From his angle, Percy could barely see small wisps of fire around the perimeter of the armory.

"Come on," Galene gestured, and the group began to hike up the path that led to the main gate of the armory.

When they reached the altitude of the hill that the armory was built at, Percy could see why so much smoke had come from the building. The main gate of the wall that surrounded the armory, which was likely of some sort of bronze construction, was completely blasted off its hinges and now lay a good twenty feet away, its fine metal twisted, warped, and burnt from damage.

"Quickly now," one of the men in the group muttered, and the entire group of people slipped past the gates. Percy could now see the armory itself – it was a massive building made of marble. It didn't quite resemble famous Greek architecture that Percy knew, like the Parthenon, but it did bear similarities to that particular Greek temple. The columns were still major feature of the building, and its torch-lit entrance showed a dimly lit tunnel that led deep into the building. Perhaps Annabeth could better explain the intricacies of pre-classical Greek architecture, but for Percy, it was just a building.

In front of the armory was a scene that Percy could only describe as a bloody battle. Dozens of bodies lay scattered on the ground. There were dozens more that still fought, locked in combat with sword, spear, dagger, or even shield. Between the bizarre mix of clothing of the rebels and the uniform bronze armor of the guards, Percy could easily tell which side was which. The bodies that lay closer to the ruined gate were mostly armory guards, but closer to the entrance of the armory, the bodies were overwhelmingly rebel. The rebels were losing.

"Reinforcements!" one rebel yelled, turning around to see Galene and the group behind her. The man smiled for a second before he was impaled by a spear, the sharp point of the weapon protruding from the front of his chest. He gurgled once, blood spilling out of both his wound and his mouth, before the spear's wielder pulled his weapon back and let the man fall to the ground.

"Charge!" Galene yelled, and the motley group of rebel fighters rushed forward, brandishing their eccentric mix of weaponry as they locked blades with the armory's guards.

Percy felt himself tremble as he saw the dead corpse of the man who had smiled before dying. He had seen death before – there were countless more corpses that littered the ruined Olympus he and Thalia had arrived at – but never the act of killing in such a vivid and gruesome fashion. It was one thing to see death after the act, and it was another entirely to see the act in the moment.

"You okay?" Alcaeus quickly asked, taking Percy by the shoulders. Percy quickly nodded, swallowing heavily as he unsheathed Riptide.

"We need to help them," Percy quietly said. Alcaeus and Kassandra looked at each other before nodding, and the three rushed into the fray.

Even with the reinforcements of Galene's group, the rebels were slowly being pushed back. The armory's guards were well-trained and experienced, working together to form an impenetrable line that slowly moved forward.

That is, until Percy jumped in.

Grabbing a shield from a fallen guard, Percy leapt over the spear line into the flank of the guards' formation. Startled, one guard quickly turned around, breaking ranks with his comrades, and thrust his spear at Percy. The demigod deflected the thrust with his shield, sliding forward and slashed diagonally down the soldier's bronze chest plating.

To both Percy's and the guard's surprise, Riptide passed cleanly through the guard with no evidence that a sword had ever been swung at the man. Percy blinked twice before he internally cursed. His trusted blade was made out of _celestial bronze._ He hadn't even considered the issue with that. It had been so long since Percy had fought someone that wasn't a demigod or monster. There was no doubt that the shocked man in front of him was a mortal, meaning Percy had effectively just jumped into enemy lines without a weapon.

Snarling, the guard recovered his faculties and thrust his spear again. Dodging, Percy rolled forward and simply punched the man in the face, feeling bones crack and teeth knocked loose. The guard fell backwards onto the ground, groaning and clutching his face, as Percy turned to the now-facing him guards. Most of the other soldiers had reformed a smaller line to combat the rebels, but a small contingent of them – four in total – had broken off of the main group to face him as he had fought the first guard. Picking up the fallen guard's spear, Percy breathed deeply, eyeing each of the four guards to see who would make the first move.

The guard farthest to Percy's left was the first to crack, yelling as he thrust his spear forward. Deflecting it with his shield, Percy rolled out of the way of a simultaneous three-spear attack that all ended at the ground behind where he had just been standing. Flipping his spear around, Percy whacked the guard that had attacked him first in the head, cracking the spear as it hit the guard straight on his ear and sent the man spiraling into the ground beside his fallen comrade who had received a nose job.

Percy quickly dropped his broken spear and rushed forward with his shield before the other three guards could fully pull back their shields and turn, bashing into all of them and knocking them to the ground. Spears and shields fell to the ground as the guards groaned on the ground. As they struggled to pick themselves back up, Percy, now devoid of shield, rushed in, bashing the face of the first of the three guards to recover. The other two had also picked themselves up, but hadn't picked up their weapons or shields. Instead, they raised their fists and stood beside each other, both stoically facing the demigod that had just beaten three of their comrades.

Instead of rushing into a one-on-two fistfight with the last two guards, Percy raised an arm. Behind them, a jug of water that had been resting on a small alcove of the armory building tipped over, its water rushing out. Turning, both of the guards looked confused as the water slammed into them with the force of punches. Both guards felt the air knocked out of their chests, and as they stumbled around, both turned to see Percy walk towards them. With two hooks, Percy stood victorious above five fallen guards.

He turned to see how his own comrades fared, catching a glimpse of Kassandra slitting the throat of the last standing guard. Percy froze as he saw the impassive expression on her face and the blood that matted her hair and coated her clothing. Beside her, Alcaeus stood over the dead corpse of another guard, pulling his sword out of the dead man's chest. He had a similar expression on his face.

Looking back at his own opponents, who were all unconscious rather than dead, Percy couldn't help but wonder about the differences between him and people like Kassandra and Alcaeus. There was no doubt that those two were ready to kill, whereas Percy couldn't bring himself to kill mortals, even those he fought against. His trusted sword protected him from any mistakes of that nature, as Percy had just seen firsthand.

"We have won!" Galene exclaimed, cleaning one of her daggers of blood on the tunic of a dead guard. The rebels – those who still stood – cheered in unison. Out of the two dozen in Galene's group and however many more were in the first group, a pitiful amount stood: no more than two and a half dozen fighters were left standing. Percy knew immediately that were it not for him, Alcaeus, and Kassandra, the rebels would've lost the battle with everyone dead.

Alcaeus walked up to Percy before looking down at the fallen guards. As the older man brandished his sword, Percy looked away – he already knew what was to happen. Five quick and clean slashes later, and Percy looked back at the older man re-sheathing his sword. The young demigod didn't dare look down because he knew what he would find.

"This is a battle," Alcaeus quietly said, looking down at Percy, "and these are our enemies. If you do not kill them, you invite them to kill you. There is no other way." Percy stayed silent as the man walked away to rejoin the main body of rebels.

"Bring the wagons," one of the men ordered. Four men disappeared for a few minutes down the hill before returning, now each pulling a small cart into the courtyard in front of the armory.

"Quickly load up the carts. Just bring them into the armory," the man explained. The four men nodded, and four more men, including the man who had ordered for the wagons to be brought, joined them as they pulled the carts to the entrance of the armory. As the man passed Galene, he turned to the girl.

"You're in charge while we load the wagons." With that, he continued into the armory. Galene nodded to herself before turning to her troops.

"Everyone, keep a watch for any enemy reinforcements." The other fighters nodded, and some slipped to the ground, exhausted from the fight.

Percy, for his part, slumped to the ground, sitting against the marble wall by the destroyed gate to the armory. Off to the side, Alcaeus and Kassandra sat, each cleaning their weapons.

Smiling to himself, Percy sighed. They had done it – they had stormed the armory and taken control of it. They would soon have all of the weapons they needed while starving Theseus' forces of them, and soon the Athenian resistance would be able to overthrow his rule.

They had won.

And then the armory exploded.

Percy was blown back into the wall by the sheer force of the explosion. Chunks of marble flew out, and some of the men that were standing closer to the building vanished underneath massive pieces of debris. At the distance Percy sat, along with Alcaeus, Kassandra, Galene, and the majority of the rebel fighters, they were only pelted by small pieces of shrapnel.

"What happened?" a man yelled, struggling to his feet. Galene stared in disbelief at the armory, which was now in flames as the marble structure slowly collapsed to the ground in pieces.

"Commander…" the girl whispered, her eyes wide.

"Galene!" another man roared. "Enemy troops!"

Percy pushed himself to his feet and peered past the edge of the wall to see a large formation – at least a few dozen soldiers – marching up the hill. At the front of the formation was a man who wore intricate armor. His shoulder length black hair blew in the wind, and his face was hard and expressionless.

"Is that…" a man spoke up, his incomplete question hanging in the air.

"Theseus," Galene whispered. Percy turned to look at the girl. Her eyes were wide and her hands trembled. "He's actually here."

She suddenly spoke louder. "We need to pull back immediately and form a line." Seeing that everyone was still shell-shocked, Galene yelled, "Now!"

"Pull back!" she ordered her men. "Gather shields and spears and form a defensive line."

"To defend what?" a reply came. "The armory is destroyed. The commander is dead!"

Galene gave a hard look at the man. "I am the commander now. You will do as I say!"

The man threw down his spear. "No! I am done with this. We have lost and we should surrender." Against the pleas of his fellow rebels, the man strode out to path, his arms up.

"I surrender!" he yelled to the marching formation. No verbal reply was given as they continued to approach the gate. A whizzing sound flew through the air, and the man grunted as he found an arrow protruding from the center of his chest. With a gurgle, he fell to the ground and then didn't move.

The remaining rebels looked from their dead comrade to each other before settling on Galene. Quickly nodding, the rebels gathered their weapons and formed a line deep inside the courtyard. Percy, Kassandra, and Alcaeus didn't join the line, but they also retreated to be beside the rebels. They could feel the searing heat of the flames on their backs, but they knew that it was nothing compared to the danger in front of them.

"We shouldn't have pulled back," Alcaeus muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

"Why?" Percy asked. "This is a good place to reform the line."

"There is merit to building a defensive line with a secure flank," Alcaeus admitted, "but we lose the advantage of the chokepoint at the gate. It would be easier to hold a larger force at bay with a smaller force up there."

Percy nodded as he realized the truth of the older man's words.

"At any rate," Alcaeus continued, "I don't think it matters that much. We will not be able to last very long either way. We have no supplies and no way to retreat. This is a suicide stand."

Percy tightened his grip on the shield he held. He hadn't picked up a spear, but he had retrieved a shield to protect himself from the enemy archers.

He had to protect everyone somehow. He had to use his powers. Closing his eyes, Percy felt out around him, looking for every last drop of water he could find. _There_! Inside the hill was a small cavern filled with water. Drawing every bit of strength he had, he siphoned as much as he could upwards, pulling it through cracks in the rock and the dirt of the hill.

Galene and the other rebels looked with awe as the courtyard's dirt ground became darkened and moist as the water Percy was drawing on surfaced. As Theseus appeared at the gate with his army behind him, Percy roared as he flung all of the water he could muster at the incoming force.

Theseus was quickly lost behind the rush of water, and screams and yells could be heard as the water swept soldiers off of the hill like a waterfall. Percy continued until he couldn't, panting hard as he let go of his control of the water.

And as the waves parted, Theseus stood like a rock in the river, having not moved an inch during the whole ordeal. Behind him was a wall of water, held in place by Theseus' control.

Percy's stomach plummeted. The attack he had put so much effort into had wiped out all of their enemies, except for the only one that really mattered.

"Hm," the King of Athens intoned, looking at the ragged group of men and women in front of him. "A son of Poseidon. I did not think you would be so eager to kill your _brother_." With the last word, the other son of Poseidon ordered the water forward, rushing towards the rebels, Percy, and his companions.

It took all of Percy's might to protect him, Kassandra, and Alcaeus. The torrential wave pounding away at them was beyond anything Percy had ever felt, and he struggled to hold as long as he could. From the yells and screams, he knew that the rebels were unprotected and in danger, but he could do nothing to help them. The wave washed over Percy and his companions, flowing into the burning armory and putting out the fires.

As the water subsided, Percy warily let down the wall of water he had used to block Theseus' attack. Looking beside him, he saw the rebels lying in the ground. Many were not moving.

"Galene!" Percy yelled, seeing the girl washed up against a column of the armory. Rushing over to the rebel fighter, Percy knelt down and examined her. Blood flowed down her head, and her right arm and legs were twisted unnaturally. With shaking arms, he lay the girl's head down on his lap. He knew that these were not injuries that could be easily healed, if at all.

"Perseus," the girl muttered, her dark eyes fluttering open to see the demigod. "You are alright."

"Yeah," Percy said, struggling to smile. "I am alright. And you will be too. Just stay awake. We will get you the help you need."

The girl chuckled, coughing out blood as she did so. "Good try," she whispered, her voice weakening. "But I do not think I will be getting out of this one." Her head rolled to the side, and her eyes narrowed as she saw Theseus standing amidst the full moon.

"The tyrant," she mumbled. "Perseus, you must kill him. To free my people."

Percy swallowed. "I will do what I can."

Galene closed her eyes and slowly nodded, before re-opening them and looking at the bright night sky, lit alight with the stars of the cosmos.

"I now go to be with my father, my mother, my brother, and my dearest little sister," she rasped, barely able to speak. "I now join them, slain like them by Theseus." She let out a deep breath. "I wish I could have gotten to know you better, Perseus. May time r-remember you as," she stopped to breath in, "the greatest h-hero to h-have ever lived." With that, she breathed out one last time, and fell still.

Percy's forced smile dropped, and he looked at the girl with an expression of fear and disbelief.

"Galene?" he whispered. The body lay unmoving. Unbreathing.

Kassandra placed a hand on Percy's shoulder. "She is dead, Perseus. There is nothing you can do." Percy was silent for a few moments before he slowly nodded. Lowering Galene's body to the ground gracefully, he rose up and turned to face the tyrant.

"Are you done mourning?" Theseus mocked, his voice sharp and harsh. "Be grateful I gave you any time at all."

Wordlessly, Percy drew his pen and uncapped it, revealing Riptide in its full form.

"What blade is that?" Theseus whispered, looking with a degree of awe at the transforming weapon. He could almost feel the sea pulsing through the sword. "Where did you get it from?"

"You do not want to know," Percy responded, his own tone mocking and predatory, even though he had no idea who the demigod was referring to.

"It matters not," Theseus replied, drawing his own blade. "I will take it from your corpse, after I kill you and your friends."

Percy turned to Alcaeus and Kassandra. "Stay back. I will deal with him alone."

Alcaeus raised an eyebrow at the notion while Kassandra simply nodded. She used an arm to maneuver the older man backwards as Percy strode forward, sword in hand, pain in his heart, and fire in his eyes.

"Do you not think we should help him?" Alcaeus asked, looking at his younger companion. Kassandra shook her head.

"Perseus needs to deal with this alone. I saw it in his eyes. At any rate, we would not be able to help him otherwise. This is a battle of demigods, and not a fight fit for mortals to join."

In front of them, Percy came to a stop, lifting Riptide into a guard position and waiting for Theseus to make a move. The king took a deep breath, and then launched forward off of a foot, pushing himself toward the younger demigod. Percy parried the first blow before using his shield to bash Theseus. The monarch jumped backwards to avoid the shield bash, and Percy took advantage to take the initiative.

Theseus was taken aback by the younger man's sheer ferocity and speed as Percy slashed and stabbed continuously. Driven by a desire to see Theseus toppled, Percy didn't let up at all, putting the king on the back foot as their fight pushed toward the gate. Still, Theseus' defense was impeccable, and as strong and fast as Percy was, he was unable to get in a blow.

Theseus leapt backwards to increase the distance between the two demigods, his sword arm shaking. Percy took deep breaths to rest, his body fatigued from the intensive assault.

"It seems our skills with a blade are evenly matched," Theseus intoned. "This fight will not be decided by our skills as swordsmen, but rather our mastery of our innate ability." Closing his eyes, Theseus summoned a column of water, drawing from the water that rushed downhill as well as the same cavern Percy had tapped into. Opening his eyes, Theseus sent the column forward, and Percy concentrated to stop it in its tracks. Hovering between them, the water remained suspended in mid-air like a beam of water that threatened to shoot either way.

Both men grunted as they strived to push it more towards the other. The two sons of Poseidon were locked in a battle of their paternal gift, and the outcome would be decided by whoever could overpower the other. That is, whoever had greater favor with Poseidon.

"Why!" Theseus suddenly cried out, his face showing signs of his strain. The column of water moved more towards him. "Why, father?"

After a few moments, Theseus coughed out a spurt of blood, and with a rush, the column of water that had been held with such tension between the two demigods flew into the king of Athens. Theseus was battered against the wall of the armory, falling to the ground as the water flowed past him.

Cautiously, Percy walked towards the downed king, Riptide drawn and ready for any confrontation. Theseus, on the other hand, did not look ready to confront Percy in any way, shape, or form. The king lay panting, sitting with his back against the wall. One foot was twisted at an odd angle.

"You have bested me, son of Poseidon," Theseus muttered. "I do not know how you have gained such favor with Poseidon, but it matters not. I am finished."

"I have yet to kill you," Percy replied, looking down at the king.

Theseus laughed mirthlessly, before unstrapping his intricate chestplate. With a heave, he threw it off to the side, revealing a beige tunic. At least, the parts that were stained with blood were beige. A long streak of dried blood ran from his right shoulder to his left hip, while directly right of his abdomen was a dark circular stain of blood.

"I did not do that to you," Percy whispered, looking with confusion at Theseus' injuries.

"Indeed, hero," Theseus rasped. "You did not. _They_ did." He gestured out past the destroyed gate, past the walls of the city, and out into the distance.

Percy followed his finger, his eyes widening as he saw it. Hundreds – no, it had to be thousands, of little pricks of light in the distance. An uncountable mass of people.

"What is that?" Percy questioned, looking back at Theseus.

"The Dorians of the north," came the quiet reply. "An invasion force. For years I have fought them in the north to stop them, to halt their advance, but now my strength is spent and my city is ripe for the taking. I cannot stop them. You cannot stop them. That pitiful resistance could not stop them. Nothing can."

Kassandra and Alcaeus had walked up to where Percy stood, and Kassandra gasped when she saw the incoming army. Alcaeus grimaced.

"So why did you kill your own people?" Percy asked, his eyes burning. "Galene," he pointed at the girl's dead body, "lost her family because of you."

"I truly do not remember that girl or her family," Theseus replied. "I have killed many disloyal citizens. I needed every last portion of strength my city had to give to fight the Dorians, and that involved eliminating those who opposed my rule – they were hindering me from doing what I needed to do. If they were caught in the crossfire, it was accidental. Or maybe they were even opposing me."

"Why did you not just tell your people?" Percy demanded.

"What, and cause mass panic?" Theseus smiled, though again it was with no humor. "That would have bled my city dry of the strength it needed. An unpalatable option compared to simply requisitioning what I needed."

Percy stepped back and took a deep breath. He could not refute the logic of Theseus' words. He knew with his heart that the king had been unjust and tyrannical, but he knew with his mind that it was for the greater good. Could he fault the man for acting as he did, as a king should have?

"Take heart, hero," Theseus said, recognizing the dilemma in Percy's mind, "and know that I will be dead anyway. These wounds that were inflicted upon me by the Dorians are fatal. I will be dead before sunrise. You would do well to flee before the Dorians arrive – I doubt the city will survive their wrath."

Percy nodded, sheathing Riptide. Gesturing to Alcaeus and Kassandra, he motioned for them to depart.

"Wait, hero." Percy stopped and turned. "What is your name?"

Percy hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Perseus."

"Ah, Perseus," Theseus nodded. "An interesting name, given your fellow _Perseus_. Do you hail from Mycenae?"

"No, I come from a faraway land." Theseus slowly nodded, but his face showed a disbelieving expression.

"Well, if you ever make it to Mycenae, you should warn King Perseus of the threat. Though I doubt he will be able to stop it by that point." The king of Athens fell silent and leaned back, resting his head against the wall as he closed his eyes. His breathing grew shallower and slower.

Nodding even though Theseus could not see him, Percy wordlessly left the armory compound, Kassandra and Alcaeus following. They walked to the bottom of the hill without a word spoken, heading to the deserted building – they knew that some members of the rebel force had come on horseback, leaving their mounts in a stable attached to the building.

"We should warn King Perseus," Kassandra spoke up as they entered the stable. "This is a serious threat against Mycenae."

"We are sworn to accompany Perseus," Alcaeus rebutted, mounting one of the horses. "It is his decision."

Percy, who had also gotten onto a horse, looked at his two companions. "We continue. If we double back, it would take too long to reach Lemnos, and the north could be too dangerous by the time we come back. This is our only chance."

Kassandra looked at Percy with her dark brown eyes, staring, before nodding her acquiescence. Climbing onto a horse herself, the three rode out of the stable. Kicking up dust as they fell into a full gallop, they rode through the streets of Athens.

Everywhere throughout the city, there was panic. Vendors gathered their wares, fathers their families, and soldiers ran about with no clear direction or intent. Everyone knew what was on the horizon, but few had the ability to leave. Combined with the fact that the Athenian armory was in flames and the Athenian king was dead or dying, and there was no way to organize any kind of resistance to the impending invasion. Athens' doom was at hand.

Percy looked with sorrow at the trembling Athenian people as he rode through the city. There was nothing he could do for them. Nobody could have known what was on the horizon for the city, and even if the resistance had not existed, little would have changed. He had sought to bring justice to Athens and its people, to overthrow a tyrant and replace him with a more benevolent government, but everything he had done, everything Galene and the resistance had fought and died for, was in vain. Athens' doom was at hand.

The three rode out of the city, passing through the open gates of the city – no guards were left to man them. Outside, stragglers sought to flee on foot, bringing what they could with them. Those lucky enough to own horses rode as hard and fast as they could. Everyone tried their best to escape the coming horde. He could not save these people. How could he call himself a hero? He had not brought freedom, justice, or any kind of goodness to these people. He hadn't helped them at all. Athens' doom was at hand.

Even when they were miles away, Percy could hear the screams of a dying city, and when he turned to look all he could see was a city in flames. What good was there in such a twisted world where the innocent burned at the hands of the mighty? Athens' doom was here.

"The fall of a great city," Alcaeus muttered, his horse neighing as it did so. "And so ends the legacy of King Theseus, son of Poseidon. I hope that this is not the beginning of the end for us all."

Percy trembled at the sight, his jaw clenched and his face impassive. Turning, the three rode off, facing the dark horizon in the distance as they left the collapsing city behind them.


	23. A Yearning Reminiscence

For a while, the journey passed in complete silence. The three riders had long since slowed from their hasty gallop out of the city of Athens to a more sustainable trot, but the specter of the city's destruction still hung over them like the massive plume of smoke that they could see from the city even when miles away.

Percy knew he was not the only one who had been adversely affected by the prominent city's demise. He remembered Alcaeus' tale well enough – he had lived in Pylos until it was invaded and he and his family were sold into captivity. There were likely many families in Athens that now faced the same fate at the hands of the Dorians that Alcaeus and his family had been put into themselves. He quickly glanced at the older man, but apart from a tightly clenched jaw, the man's face was impassive and stony, devoid of any real expression.

Looking over to his over quest companion, Percy took note of Kassandra's similarly blank expression. He knew that she was vigorously opposed to his decision to continue forward rather than travel back to warn King Perseus of the threat, but she was torn between her desire to protect her city and her loyalty to her king, who had ordered her to abide by Percy's decisions to complete their given quest. Percy hated having to place her in such a precarious spot, but he still felt he had made the correct decision. There was little chance that King Perseus, with the resources of a prosperous city like Mycenae behind him, did not know of the danger from the north or the fate that had befallen his rival. If they had doubled back to warn the king, they would gain little and lose precious time. Even with this rationalization, Percy still felt guilty for having created this dilemma for the young woman.

For himself, Percy wasn't sure what exactly he felt. It was like a void had been created in the center of his chest. There was a deluge of emotions that had been sucked into it, and all Percy was left with was exhaustion and confusion. For the first few hours, all he had thought of was what he could have done to prevent such wanton destruction, but he had come to accept the futility of that line of thought. There was _nothing_ he could have done.

Then he thought of what he could have done to prevent Galene's death, as well as the deaths of the other rebels that he had fought alongside with. There was a sinking realization that one of the ways he could have saved them was to not join them at all. If he had not joined them in their quest for freedom, they would have never attacked the armory and been killed by Theseus. Perhaps they, as strong fighters, could have fled the city before its destruction. Inadvertently, he had caused their deaths.

"Perseus?" Alcaeus' voice came out of nowhere. Percy blinked. He looked down, seeing his mount look at him expectantly. A few steps ahead of him, both Alcaeus and Kassandra were looking back at him, the former with a curious look on his face. Without realizing, Percy had come to a full stop. He looked at his hands, lifting them and the reins they held up – they were slightly shaking.

Alcaeus trotted back a little to where Percy had gone to a stop, putting a reassuring hand on one of the younger man's shoulders.

"Are you alright?" Alcaeus asked, concern in his weary eyes. Percy quickly nodded, putting his hands back down and looking past the older man. Alcaeus stared at Percy for a few more seconds before nodding himself and maneuvering his mount to catch up to Kassandra, and in silence once more, the group began to ride forward.

"Where are we going?" Kassandra asked quietly, leaning over to Alcaeus.

"Perseus wishes to continue forward, which means we must ride toward Lemnos," Alcaeus replied, speaking quietly as well. "However, since our destination cannot be reached by land, our best chance of making it there is to travel to Kymi, a port city on the western side of the Aegean. From there, we can acquire a ship, which Perseus can guide, to travel to Lemnos."

The female traveler nodded, before leaning back and resuming her normal riding stance.

Alcaeus stared ahead, his eyes stony and showing little emotion. He knew that his younger companions had faced much turmoil in the past few days, more than they had in the past. He knew how much the death of the Athenian rebels and the subsequent sacking of Athens had affected Perseus, as had Perseus' decision to continue instead of heading back to Mycenae affected Kassandra.

Their quest had taken a turn for the worse, and Alcaeus feared that darker and more dangerous times awaited them. All he could do was support his fellow questers through them so that they could complete their quest.

"Let us stop for a rest," Alcaeus called out, startling both Perseus and Kassandra. He knew that all of their strengths had been flagging since they had speedily fled Athens, and with the moon bright in the sky, Alcaeus could see that they were well and truly alone, miles deep into the Greek wilderness with no potential threats around them. It was the for the best that they could take this time to regain their strength – they would need it, Alcaeus feared, for the trials and tribulations he imagined would lay ahead.

* * *

The sun was barely rising as the trio of travelers reached the first, outermost row of houses and buildings that marked the port city of Kymi.

Alcaeus immediately felt something was wrong. The city was eerily quiet, and while there were people on the roads, they were discreet and moved fast, making little noise and drawing little attention to themselves. It was an unusual display, in Alcaeus' opinion and experience, for a city like Kymi to have such low-key citizens.

Quickly handing off their horses to a hard-bargaining stall manager for what Alcaeus considered a meager amount of money – he was in no position to waste time hassling, so he accepted the offer – they set off down the streets of Kymi on foot. There was no need for mounts when they needed a ship to cross the Aegean.

"Let's buy some fruit to eat," he suggested, to which Perseus and Kassandra nodded. Alcaeus was specifically eyeing one of the few market stands on the main road of the city, which itself was unusual – normally, a bustling commercial center like Kymi would be filled, even in the early hours of the day, with those who wished to sell their wares and those who wished to buy exotic goods. There were only a few market stalls open at all – some were of the exotic kind, but many were just common goods like cloths and foods.

"How much apiece?" Alcaeus asked, eyeing the vendor with a critical eye. The man was dressed raggedly for someone that sold fruit in the heart of a center of commerce. Given his prime location, he could easily sell his wares – in this case, fruit – for an above-market price and pocket a tidy profit, but his worn clothes and messy countenance did not reflect that sort of reality.

"Two _obols_ ," the man warily replied sharply, eyeing the armed nature of Alcaeus and the younger companions that were behind him.

"Two _obols_?" Alcaeus repeated incredulously. "That is quite a high price."

"Take it or leave it."

Alcaeus made a big show of sighing, before withdrawing his pouch. Pulling out six small silver coins, he handed the money to the fruit vendor, who in turn nodded as Alcaeus reached for three of the ripest pieces he could find. As he did so, Alcaeus absentmindedly – or so he made it seem – began to make small talk.

"How is your business, friend?" Alcaeus began. The vendor glared at the strange traveler before placing down his own money pouch and putting both hands on his stall.

"These are tough times in Kymi," the vendor admitted, looking around. "There used to be many stalls here – a big market full of cheer and smiles. Now, there is nothing."

"Why?"

The vendor gave a mirthless chuckle. "Surely you have heard? The Invaders from the north are coming for us. In fact, many have already fled. The city guards are in a rightful panic." The man leaned closer, as if to tell a secret, so Alcaeus followed suit. "In fact, I have heard that Athens itself has fallen. Riders in the night rode through the city, crying out that the city was burning. There was a mass panic just hours ago, and this is what is left."

Alcaeus somberly nodded. There must have been riders that rode faster and harder than they did to flee the invading Dorians.

"And you, my friend?" Alcaeus asked, looking at the man and his stall.

"I have nothing left to lose except for my life and my stand," the vendor muttered, looking around. "If they come and kill me, nothing will have been lost."

For a single moment, Alcaeus felt a pang of pain and empathy, but he quickly quashed to keep his composure. Placing a hand on the man's shoulder, to which the vendor flinched once but did nothing about, he leaned in.

"May the gods watch your fortune, friend." Alcaeus backed away, taking his three pieces of fruit with him. "Stay safe."

"As should you," the vendor replied, regarding the stranger in front of him who had been unusually warm in tumultuous times. To the old fruit vendor, it was a harkening back to better times, ones with peace and fruitful joy unlike the present. Sighing, the vendor returned to his fruit as Alcaeus returned to his companions – the two men were destined, after all, for different paths.

"What was that?" Perseus whispered as Alcaeus returned to his other two fellow travelers. Kassandra quietly accepted the piece of fruit Alcaeus offered, biting into it and savoring its sweet juice, while Alcaeus handed Perseus a piece as well. The younger man nodded his acceptance as Alcaeus bit into his own piece and chewed, thinking of a reply.

"An understanding, of sorts," Alcaeus decided to say, "of the situation facing us. I fear we do not have much time left."

"How long?" Kassandra suddenly spoke up, her eyes showing her understanding of Alcaeus' words – she had put the pieces together and finally realized why Kymi was a shadow of its former self and why Alcaeus had been talking to a street vendor for so long.

"Hours, I presume," the older man admitted. "We must make haste to the port, lest we be unable to find a ship to leave this city before its doom."

"The Dorians are coming here as well?" Perseus spoke up, also realizing the predicament facing them, the city, and all that remained of Kymi's inhabitants.

"Indeed, young Perseus," Alcaeus confirmed, taking another bite of his piece of fruit. "Let us walk now."

The three made their way down the stone path of the city's main street. In the distance, they could already see the shining sea, sunlight reflecting off of the glinting water. It was a beautiful sight, Alcaeus had to admit, but considering the circumstances, they could hardly afford to dawdle on such sights.

A small commotion alerted all three questers, causing them quickly turn around warily, though not enough so to make them draw their weapons.

Alcaeus sighed as he saw a small child creep out of a nearby alleyway made by two buildings. The child had knocked down some bins that had been stacked in the alley, and now the boy, who Alcaeus reckoned could be no older than eight or nine, was staring up at them with wide brown eyes. He noted that the boy was wearing dirty, weathered clothing, barely big enough to fit him and certainly no protection against the elements. He noted the matted, filthy look of the boy's black hair and the dirt on his feet. An orphan, then.

Alcaeus also noted the look of pain on Perseus' face. He watched as the demigod walked slowly to the orphan boy, holding out his piece of fruit with just a single bite in it. The boy quickly grabbed it out of Perseus' hands and ran back into his alleyway. Before he disappeared from view, however, the boy stopped, turned, nodded his thanks quickly to Perseus, and scampered off into the darkness between the two buildings.

"Why did you do that?" Alcaeus wondered out loud, looking at the young demigod. Perseus still had a conflicted expression playing on his face, as if in physical pain.

"He seemed like he needed it more than I," the young man replied.

Alcaeus closed his eyes for a moment as he pursed his lips. "You know that we may be in a battle for our lives very shortly. Keeping your strength up at this crucial time is important."

"If I can't help a single child, what kind of hero am I?" Perseus retorted.

Alcaeus let out a chortle of goodhearted laughter, confusing the demigod. Beside them, Kassandra had a mirthful, if small, smile on her face. "Very good, Perseus," Alcaeus responded. "It is heartening to know that your _heart_ is in the right place. Come, let us continue our way." Perseus nodded, even if he did still look a bit confused at Alcaeus' words.

Truthfully, Alcaeus had no issue with Perseus' actions – after all, what more would a small piece of fruit do in a pitched battle for their lives? Indeed, Alcaeus had seen a true glimpse of Perseus' inner self in that moment. Not everyone would have given their fruit to the boy, and certainly not King Perseus himself. No, it was a very rare hero that would do such things, and Alcaeus took heart in the fact that Perseus' was in the right place.

He could follow this hero anywhere – even to the gates of Death itself.

* * *

"That was, I think, the last one in the city," Perseus moaned as he came out of the building. A few hours had passed since their arrival in Kymi, and the sun was beginning to reach its peak in the sky. They had been going from ship owner to ship owner in the port, and none of them had a ship that they could sell or take on more passengers. Many, in fact, were already in the process of leaving, hauling precious cargo, crew, and passengers onboard as they feared the imminent invasion.

And it was a rightful fear. For the past few hours, as Alcaeus, Perseus, and Kassandra scoured the docks of Kymi, guards had been running through the streets in a near-panic. Evidently, the city authorities were beginning to raise a red flag, preparing their forces for what was almost certainly going to be a losing battle. There was little they could do against an invasion force that had made short work of Athens, one of the greatest cities in the land before the Dorians had arrived.

"That is unfortunate," Alcaeus nodded. Suddenly, a cacophony of horns blew throughout the air, startling the group and all in their vicinity.

"Is that…" Perseus left the question hanging in the air.

"Battle horns, by my reckoning," Kassandra whispered. "The battle must have started."

"Then we do not have much time," Alcaeus grunted, looking around. "The city will fall within the hour if they are meeting in battle in the plains outside of Kymi. We need to find a ship now."

"A-a-a ship?" a voice cried out from the shadows of one of the buildings that overlooked the docks. Alcaeus turned to see a haggard-looking man slovenly lying in the shade. He had a small jar beside him, one that Alcaeus suspected was full of drink. The man stood up, swaying slightly, before making a pitiful attempt of dusting himself off. His robe had a large stain on the front of it. "Well, I believe I can help you with that."

"No thank you," Kassandra began, but Alcaeus quickly cut her off.

"Do you have one?" Alcaeus nicely asked, putting on what he hoped was a genuine-looking smile.

The man burped. "Ha, feisty little girl, this one is," he laughed as he pointed at Kassandra. The woman in question glared back. The man – who Alcaeus was sure was at least partially inebriated – looked back at Alcaeus, putting on a more serious expression. It looked somewhat comical to the assembled group.

"Of course!" he roared, raising both arms, with one hand still clasping onto his drinking jug. "I am the proud owner and operator of, uh, the _Kymite Justice_."

"Really," Kassandra deadpanned.

"Truly, sweetheart," the man grinned back. "Now, what would you want to do with it?"

"We wish to requisition a ship to travel across the Aegean," Alcaeus evenly provided, making sure to not give away too much of their quest.

"Huh, across the Aegean?" The man picked at his dirty teeth. "Bit vague there, friend. You should probably be more specific to your captain."

Alcaeus gestured at Perseus. "This young man will be our navigator. You are, of course, welcome to join us on our voyage, but he will handle the rest."

"Mmhm," the man intoned, "and what of pay? I can't expect there to be too many ships out there for 'requisition' these days."

Grimacing slightly, Alcaeus nodded. "Indeed. I have," he made a show of checking his small money pouch, "ten _dekadrachm_ for your services."

"Ten?" the man incredulously said, waving his arms in an exaggerated motion. "I can't ask any less than twenty. Why, my ship is in high demand. Surely you consider my ship worth more than just a hundred _drachma_."

"Twelve."

"Eighteen."

"Shall we split?"

"Sounds good to me." The man stepped forward, a dirty hand extended. "Fifteen _dekadrachm_." Alcaeus clasped hands with the man.

"A third up-front and the rest upon arrival," Alcaeus intoned, looking down at the man. The scrawny man seemed to consider it for a moment before muttering to himself and quickly nodding.

"I can do that," he agreed. "Now, to my ship – it is on the other side of the docks, far from any other. Cannot miss it."

The group of three followed the man down the wooden docks when the first arrow fell. All four came to a sudden halt, staring at the embedded arrow in the wood.

Then the screams began.

Creeping up the stone stairs that led down to the docks, Alcaeus saw the faintest hint of smoke rising to the sky and the quiet, but rhythmic beat of war drums.

"It is happening," Alcaeus hurriedly whispered. With a gulp, the man whose ship they were requisitioning nodded.

"Then we must move quickly." Before they could move again, however, a flurry of arrows landed in front of them, this time with fiery tips. The wooden in front of them caught aflame, and soon their path forward was engulfed by a spreading fire.

"We can go around through the city," the man quickly said, walking up the stairs to the stone path of the city proper. Following close behind, they slipped into the city, which was now largely devoid of anyone else.

In the distance, Alcaeus could hear the screams of men, women, and children, and his blood chilled at the thought of what was happening. It was almost enough to bring him to the past, but he forcibly fought the urge to hurl as he continued onward.

They had just gone past an empty shop when an armored soldier tumbled out of a nearby alleyway. The guard's metal armor was stained with crimson blood, and as he fell onto his back, Alcaeus could see a dagger sticking out of his chestplate. He shook his head as he saw the guard's face – a young man, no older than Perseus, and one that had died doing all he could to protect his city. In fact, Alcaeus was sure that his own son would not have been much older than the guard that had just died in front of them.

"Ohoho, what have we here?" a voice came from the alleyway. Alcaeus and everyone else in the group turned to see a group of men walk out of the alleyway. There were at least ten of them, armed with swords and dressed in misshapen assortments of armor.

"Dorians," Kassandra whispered.

"More fun," the lead Dorian laughed. "Go ahead boys!"

With that, the fight ensued. The odds were against them – it was Alcaeus, Kassandra, and Perseus' blade against about a dozen-odd fighters, though with some surprise, Alcaeus noticed the man guiding them to his ship also pull out a dagger from the folds of his robes. But what they lacked in quantity, they more than made up in quality. Kassandra herself was holding off two fighters, as was Alcaeus. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Perseus using nearby jugs of water to great effect against the nearly ten other men that were fighting the demigod.

Concentrating on his own opponents, Alcaeus dodged a thrust by one of the fighters before throwing out a wicked punch into the face of another, this one with no helmet. The man grunted and screamed as his nose broke under the impact of Alcaeus' fist, and taking advantage of the disabling of one opponent, Alcaeus focused his attention on the other.

Parrying a slash from the fighter, Alcaeus used his greater height and bulk to muscle his way into extreme close range with fighter. He sharply twisted his blade, forcing the man to follow suit, and with a great roar, he yanked his blade upwards, knocking the fighter's sword out of his hands.

The fighter was momentarily confused at his sudden disarmament before he spit outwards at the pain he felt when Alcaeus thrust his blade through the fighter's heart. Alcaeus had taken advantage of that one second by stepping back and cleanly thrusting his sword through the unarmed man, and he withdrew his blade just as quickly, letting the man fall to the ground, bleeding from multiple orifices as he did so. With a turn, Alcaeus gave a savage yell and cleanly slashed through the chest of the man whose nose he had broken earlier, his blade passing through part of the man's chest and neck. Blood seeped out of the fatal wounds as the second fighter fell to the floor to join his comrade in death.

Alcaeus huffed as he turned to help out one of his own comrades. He saw Kassandra finish up the second of her own opponents, while Perseus had handled his multiple adversaries with ease. He narrowed his eyes, however, when he saw the shipowner struggling against the last enemy, this one the lead fighter who had ordered the others into combat. With his dagger, the ragged man was barely holding off the barbaric fighter's longer sword.

As Alcaeus moved to help the man, he could feel that something was on the verge of going bad. His fears were confirmed when he saw the man stumble on a poorly paved rock, and with the momentary gap in his short-range defense that such a stumble created, the Dorian fighter pounced, stabbing his blade through the abdomen of the man.

Alcaeus pounced as well, quickly heaving his blade and slashing it across the fighter's back. The fighter grunted as he let go of his blade, still embedded in the man, and turned around, only to find Kassandra's dagger in his throat before she viciously removed it. With a splutter of blood, the last Dorian fighter's eyes widened and he fell to the ground clutching the gaping hole in his throat, unmoving by the time he hit the stone bricks.

Perseus rushed over to the panting man on the ground, still skewered by the Dorian fighter's sword. As the demigod made a move to remove the blade, the man stopped him, his breathing hard and laborious.

"No, no, it is fine." The man leaned backwards, taking a deep breath before coughing. "There is nothing you can do."

Alcaeus kneeled beside the man, sharing a look with Percy. The shipowner's injuries were grievous and there was little they could do, if anything, to even ease his pain.

"M-my ship," the man coughed out, blood leaking out of the sides of his mouth, "is just over there." He haphazardly pointed past a stone building down the street, and at the very of the road, Alcaeus could see a separate wooden dock, at which was moored a single ship. A boat, really, but at this juncture, Alcaeus did not care about the technicalities of whatever craft they used to leave Kymi.

"L-leave me here," the man quietly whispered, his voice hoarse. He shakily withdrew a pouch from his belt, holding it up to Alcaeus.

"That is the payment for your ship," Alcaeus intoned, looking at the pouch. "That is yours to keep."

The man struggled to shake his head. "It is of little use to me now." He tried to crack a smile, but between his bloodied mouth and teeth, it was more grotesque than comforting. "You will be able to make more use of it."

Perseus pushed the man's hand back down. "No," the demigod stated, his tone hard. "This is your rightful payment. We will not rob you of it, even at this time."

The man turned to Perseus, his face a mixture of different emotions. "I-I see." He closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them again. "Lean me against the wall of this building," he asked of the demigod, and Perseus acquiesced, helping the man sit up against the stone wall of a building to face a closed shop of mirrors on the other side of the road.

"You are a rare one," the man grunted, the pain from his wound only growing. "What is your name?"

"Perseus."

"A-ah, Perseus," the man nodded. "A demigod named Perseus. May the gods, and your father Poseidon, bless you on your journey. Now go, before more Dorians come."

Alcaeus nodded, and gestured for Perseus to follow. The demigod grimaced, but nodded, smiling at the dying man one last time before following Kassandra and Alcaeus to run down the road to the waiting ship.

The man smiled as best he could at their retreating forms. It was truly his luck to find people like them only on the day he died and his city burned. Turning, the man looked in the mirror across the street, taking in his own ragged, filthy, and horrendous appearance. A dying man, indeed.

In his mind's eye, however, he could almost see _it_ – a young, handsome man, with jet-black hair, strong-white teeth, and a happy countenance. The man he once was, the man who had bought the _Kymite_ _Justice_ and had imagined a future of happiness ahead of him. The man he was before life hit him hard and things fell apart.

His friends had deserted him. His lover had left him. His strength had failed him. And now, he was left dying on the road of a burning city.

And yet, the man imagined, there was hope left for this cruel world if such people existed.

 _Go forth, Perseus, and be the hero the world needs in these times._

With that, the man gasped one last time and crumpled to the ground, his eyes unseeing as they stared at the red stone. The mirror across the road had no young, handsome man in its reflection – just a dead old man, worn and weathered by life's pains and anguish. Nameless, and yet, at the very end, remembered in hearts beyond his own.

* * *

The trio quickly reached the wooden docks that held a singular ship – the _Kymite Justice_. It was little more than a boat, but to Alcaeus, it could have been a grand trireme of the Mycenean Navy for all he saw – it was their ticket to relative safety.

Alcaeus quickly grabbed the rope that tied the _Kymite Justice_ to the docks and threw it into the ship. Inside of the ship, which was more like a small boat, Perseus quickly expanded the mast. Kassandra took hold of the oars and handed one to Perseus, and Alcaeus smiled as he saw the ship ready to go.

He took one step into the boat when he felt a searing pain in his gut.

Looking down, he saw an arrowhead protruding out of his abdomen. In that moment, he knew it was all over. Alcaeus turned around to see archers on the top of the buildings close to the docks, and with another whip through the air, he grunted as he felt another bout of pain in his chest.

"Alcaeus!" Perseus screamed, rushing over to the fallen man. Kassandra attended to the wounds, her eyes wide as she saw her companion struggle to breathe.

With a yell, Perseus raised his arms. Two massive columns of water followed suit, and the demigod roared in anger as he flung it at the buildings, ignoring the screams of terror from the archers as the water slammed into them and collapsed the buildings they stood on. The ensuing force from the water being raised from its still spot in the docks pushed the _Kymite Justice_ out of the docks, propelling it far faster than oars or wind could. Soon, they were clear of the city, and anyone still left on the shore of the city were little more than pinpricks in the distance.

Not that either uninjured occupant of the _Kymite Justice_ knew this or cared. They were both huddled around their ailing comrade, unsure of how to precede.

"I think the arrow in his back broke when he fell," Kassandra muttered. "I don't know how to get it out." Perseus did not respond as he gently touched the shaft of the arrow that had struck Alcaeus on the front of his chest. He knew how to heal himself with water, but he did not know how to apply those healing properties to others – he was not even sure he could.

"Leave it," Alcaeus suddenly rasped, his eyes blinking rapidly. "There is nothing you can do."

Perseus violently shook his head. "No. No. No – we can do something. I do not know; perhaps we can remove the arrows and bandage you." The demigod began to rummage through the various crates onboard the ship. "There must be some supplies here we can use."

Alcaeus shook his head. "There is nothing short of the gods that can save me."

"Then we call the gods!"

Alcaeus laughed. "I wish it were that easy to summon a god. Even you, Perseus, do not have that power."

The demigod's eyes smoldered in anger. "There must be something we can do."

"There is nothing you can do."

"You cannot die! You have to find your family!"

Alcaeus laughed again, coughing up blood as he did so. "My family… when they were taken from me and I from them, I was sure of only one thing – that I would not see them again. I would have never found them again, if they were even still alive. That was nothing more than a dream; it was never meant to be more."

Perseus kneeled back down beside his dying friend. "You cannot give up like this."

Alcaeus smiled wistfully. "I wish that desiring something made it so. This is the pain of mortality, which all men must face. My day has come today, and while it is earlier than I would have wanted, it has come nonetheless. We are powerless to stop it. I now welcome the eternal slumber."

Perseus swallowed, his face hard.

Alcaeus gestured for Kassandra to lean in, and when she did so, he whispered in her ear. The young woman pulled back, and with the faintest tears welling up in her eyes, she nodded. Her expression betrayed her inner turmoil. Alcaeus smiled as much as he could, given his pain, and closed his eyes, sighing peacefully as he did so.

He could almost see them. His family… Alexander, his youngest son – a precocious child, but one that always had a spark of wonder in his eye. Eirene, his only daughter – already as beautiful and kind as her mother. Eutychos, his oldest child – a son that was on the cusp of manhood, and one that Alcaeus had hoped would be a good father. And there she was… his wife. Helena, a woman whose beauty he had yet to see a match to, whose fiery wit that he had yet to hear an equal to, and whose gentleness that he had yet to feel a peer to.

Yes, they were welcoming him into their fold once more. As Alcaeus began to drift towards them, he remembered one thing.

Perseus.

The demigod that had been given a quest, and in its journey, had proven himself a hero like those of times past. He was saddened that he could not accompany Perseus through the end of the quest, but he had done his best. They had come far, and he knew that Perseus would go even further. Alcaeus' journey had come to an end, but Perseus' was just beginning.

With that, Alcaeus relinquished his last hold on the physical realm and entered the warm embrace of his loving family.

* * *

In accordance with Alcaeus' last request to Kassandra, his body was cleaned and set adrift in the Aegean Sea, becoming one with the world once more.


	24. A Pyrrhic Victory

**A/N:** Sorry for the one-week delay – I was a bit slow writing this chapter, which is why there's been a strange Wednesday update. I have some news regarding the update schedule for the rest of this story.

Including this chapter, I have seven chapters planned for this story before its conclusion. This includes three chapters for the rest of the second arc (including this one), three "finale arc" chapters, and one epilogue chapter. Next week will not feature an update, but I will (hopefully) update every Monday after that for six consecutive weeks, concluding with the epilogue on October 1st, the one-year anniversary of this story's beginning.

The three-part finale arc will take the place of the third arc of this story, and each chapter will likely be longer than normal. I hope you are all still enjoying the story, and without further ado, I present Chapter 24: A Pyrrhic Victory.

* * *

Percy was grateful when they finally landed on the shore of the island of Lemnos. It had been just a few hours since Alcaeus had been put to rest in the Aegean Sea, and since then, the boat had been completely silent. Even though he was at sea, something that normally calmed him and gave him confidence, Percy felt a sense of melancholy wash over him like a wave in the ocean.

Alcaeus had been the solid pillar of their group, the metaphorical glue that gave Percy and Kassandra a common point of connection. He was, though not officially, the de facto leader of the group – his age and experience had more than qualified him for the role. Even though he ultimately deferred to Percy's decisions, Alcaeus was always the one to carry them out, and more than once he gave precious advice on the situation and what Percy _should_ do, though it was not always what he did do. He always made sure that they were keeping up on their strength, making sure to account for their issues in the overall goal to complete the Mycenean King's quest. All things that Percy, as the actual leader of the quest, should have done.

And now he was gone.

Jumping off the boat, Percy, along with Kassandra, wordlessly pulled it onto the sandy shore. The demigod shook his head as he did so, trying to compartmentalize his tumultuous emotions and thoughts of Alcaeus; they would do him and Kassandra no good on this island, and he needed to focus on the task before him. Brushing away the last thoughts of his late companion, Percy took stock of the environment around them.

They had landed upon a rather rocky shore – around the small section of sandy beach were rocky cliffs and a scattering of short trees. Percy jolted with a start when he heard a loud series of metal clinks behind him, turning to see Kassandra hoisting up and dropping a large black cloth bag. She had a wry smile on her face after seeing Percy's surprised expression.

"What?" she asked, a playful tone in her voice.

"Uh, what is that?" Percy replied, pointing at the large bag that had partially sunken into the soft sand.

In response, the young woman tore open the tied cloth bag, revealing an assortment of swords, axes, bows, arrows – in a quiver, and other tools and weapons. She arched an eyebrow at the veritable arsenal, though many of the weapons were old and rusty.

"Need anything?" she asked, a sense of sarcasm dripping in her voice.

"I think I am fine for now, but thank you," Percy responded in kind.

She gave a small nod and picked up the bow for herself, testing out the pullback. She nodded to herself and picked up the quiver to go along with it, slinging that around her back. Tying the bag back up, she stashed the unwanted weapons behind one of the larger rocks on the beach so that anyone who faced the sea would not see it.

"Ready?" Percy asked his companion, to which she nodded. The two set off down a rocky path that led through a crevice in the cliffs.

The trek was on a rough collection of rocks and stones rather than a path, which fit Percy's initial assumption that they had landed at a relatively untouched and uninhabited part of the island. On one hand, Percy liked the idea that no one would be alerted to their presence, but on the other, that made their hike all the more difficult – being far away from potential onlookers also meant that they would be far away from their ultimate destination. Coming to a stop as they finished scaling the rocky cliff, Percy sighed with relief. By the end, they had to vertically scale the cliff, free climbing up the rocky surface with only the certainty that any fall would be a quick end.

"There we go," Kassandra suddenly said, panting slightly as she did so. Percy glanced at her. One hand was on her hip and the other was extended to point past him. He turned to see where she was pointing, and the sight left him shocked.

The shock came from the impressive sight of a single volcano. It billowed with smoke, and even from where they stood, it was obvious that there was plenty of activity around the base of the peak. All he knew was that somewhere in that volcano was Hephaestus' second most important forge, as was the weapon that King Perseus had asked for, but he had no idea how to get inside the volcano undetected and where to find the weapon that the other Perseus wanted. The man had said it would be easy to find, but Percy couldn't see how anything would be easy to find in such a massive place.

They had a long journey ahead of them – the trek to the volcano itself would be hard enough. Percy readied himself mentally, and the two of them continued forward, marching toward the ominous sight in the distance.

* * *

Percy was fairly certain that his legs were ready to mutiny against him. He and Kassandra had slogged through forests and hiked over hills for nearly three hours. The end result to show for all of that time was a nice view of the base of the volcano and two screaming sets of muscles. Now, the two of them were hiding at the edges of the forest, peering through the leaves into the work camp at the base of the volcano. There was a multitude of activity going back and forth, but Percy's heart sunk as he saw the workers come into view.

The workers were all robots.

To be more exact, the workers were all mechanical automatons of a sort, made of gleaming bronze and moving in set patterns as they carried materials. They were all vaguely humanoid, with obvious heads and glowing eyes as they maneuvered past one another. Not all were constructed the same – many were taller or shorter, wider or thinner than the others around them. Hephaestus seemed to enjoy some variety in his designs.

"That will make it harder," Kassandra muttered under her breath. Percy turned to face the woman.

"We can't disguise ourselves as these… _things_ ," Kassandra explained, to which Percy nodded.

"I agree," he replied in the same hushed tone before looking back to the camp. The two eyed the automated workers for a while more before Percy quickly extended a hand, clasping Kassandra's upper arm.

"Look!" he hurriedly whispered, pointing at a set of automatons. Kassandra followed Percy's finger and gaze to eye two particular automatons.

These two creations of Hephaestus were slightly different from many of their brethren. Namely, they wore shiny bronze armor over their already-bronze construction. Their heads were covered by helmets of extravagant design, hiding their features and exact build from any observers.

Both Percy and Kassandra turned to look at each other at the same time, identical grins appearing on their faces as they simultaneously nodded. They had the same idea.

* * *

"These things are more uncomfortable than they look," Percy whispered. Kassandra quickly shushed him, but he could see her nod as she did so.

They had ambushed the two automatons – likely "guard" units for the other ones – as the two rounded the perimeter of the work camp and neared their hiding spot in the forest. They had made quick work of the two; Percy had swamped both units in water and Kassandra put them down quickly with two swift swipes of her dagger. After defeating both automatons, they had taken the armor each one wore and dressed themselves. Luckily for them, the armor seemed to resize itself to fit the wearer, so the armor fit them about as well as they could. As long as Percy and Kassandra did nothing that would give away their human nature, they were like every other automaton in the work camp.

However, the resizing functionality of the armor did not preclude its comfort for the wearer – in Percy's experience, he believed Hephaestus probably never thought of a person wearing something that the god had built for a machine, so the armor was already going against its intended use.

Now, the two of them were making their way through the camp, making sure to mimic the automatons' robotic walk as best they could. So far, none of the automated workers they passed seemed to give any indication that their disguise was less than convincing. This continued as the two passed through the main entrance that sat at the base of the volcano. The two of them milled about with the automatons at work, effectively blending in with the streams of workers carrying materials into the volcano workshop.

Percy's fear only grew as they entered deeper into the volcano. For one, the heat was slowly becoming more oppressive, an issue that was exacerbated by the heavy armor they wore. The other reason was because of how _easy_ it seemed. There were no other guard automatons that stopped to check them. There were no security checkpoints. There weren't even any traps that would spring up to hinder their progress.

He felt a nudge in his left side and turned to see Kassandra gesturing her head toward a side corridor. Percy looked ahead where he had been walking – from what he could see, it led to a large furnace room from which a sweltering heat emanated, so he acquiesced and followed Kassandra. He wasn't going to find what he was looking for in the hot inferno of a furnace, meaning they were better off searching other parts of the complex.

The rest of the volcano workshop was as hot as the entrance, though none quite approached the intensity of heat that Percy felt from the furnace; even from a distance, it had been nearly unbearable, and Percy suspected that it was not meant for mortals to enter in the first place. After all, the workshop was supposed to be staffed solely by automatons, and Hephaestus himself certainly wouldn't be affected by extreme heat. The sword King Perseus wanted would be elsewhere, likely wherever the completed objects made from the workshop were stored.

The corridor was made of a rocky surface, punctuated irregularly by heavy metal doors that were mostly closed. Every now and then, Percy could see into one of the rooms whose doors were open, and they were generally filled with either boxes for storage or automatons working at tables. None of them fit the description of any kind of storage room where Hephaestus would keep his completed, but unused works. Bright lamps lit up the corridor, bathing every crevice of the rock wall in light.

As they neared the end of the corridor, Percy's heart began to sink. There was no room in the hall that could have held the weapon they sought, but the end of the hall did split into two different paths.

"Right or left?" Kassandra whispered, looking as much toward Percy as her armor let her.

"Right," Percy responded, and the two turned the right corner as they reached the end of the rocky corridor.

This hall looked much the same as the previous, and Percy sneaked a glance backward to look at what would have been the left turn – much of the same.

"Let's go in here," Percy whispered, gesturing to an open room. There were no automatons in the room, and the room itself had nothing more than a table with a series of stacked chairs. Kassandra nodded and entered the room, with Percy closing the metal door behind them.

"Ahh, that is nice," Kassandra sighed as she took off her helmet. She shook her head to let her damp brown locks return to their normal form after being cramped in the helmet for so long, and her face shone with perspiration from the heat of both the armor and the volcano. Setting her helmet on the table, she took a seat in one of the chairs that Percy had grabbed from the stack, leaning back and closing her eyes to rest a bit.

Percy, for his part, sat down and leaned on his armored hands, thinking hard about what to do. Hephaestus' volcano workshop was a complex facility, and there were no directions or map that they could follow to find what they needed. They also couldn't wander the complex forever – they only had so much water and had to eventually leave, and the longer they stayed in or near the volcano, the more likely they would be found out.

"So, what is the plan, Perseus?" Kassandra suddenly asked, leaning forward. She mimicked Percy's own chin-on-hands position on the table. "Can you use water to try and scout out the entire volcano?"

The demigod shook his head. "Too hot. There is barely any moisture in this volcano, much less enough to try and feel out the entirety of this place."

Kassandra grimaced and scrunched up her brow in thought. "I suppose we can't just ask one of the automatons about this."

Percy blinked a few times before staring straight at the young woman. "I… I suppose that could work."

She returned his stare with a raised eyebrow. "I was joking."

"I'm being serious. An automaton might just tell us – I mean, Hephaestus has to communicate with them if he wants to know something, so they would probably be able to communicate with us as well."

Kassandra leaned back into her chair again. "That seems a bit far-fetched."

Percy sighed and unclasped his hands, leaning on his elbows as he pressed forward into the table. "Still, it is one of our only options. I think I know how we can try."

* * *

The metal door swung open and two armored guards exited, not bothering to close the door behind them. Standing outside of the room, the two guards were still as the sounds of automatons grew louder, signifying that they were coming toward the guards.

A pair of automatons turned the corner, each carrying a box of supplies. As the first one passed the duo, one guard raised a hand to the second automaton, bringing it to a halt. Its companion paid no heed and continued forward, soon disappearing around another bend.

"Halt," Percy intoned as mechanically as possible.

The automaton gave no response.

"Where is the storage room for completed weapons?"

The automaton's eyes adjusted slightly as Percy heard gears inside of it grind. He gulped – the contraption was taking a rather long time to figure out what to do, and the longer it took, the more anxious Percy felt. He was already sweaty from the heat, but he felt new beads of sweat form on his temple and drip down his skin as the automaton whirred in front of him.

"Query processed. Proceed down this corridor," the automaton finally responded, its voice a rough approximation of a human's with scratchy Greek and a synthetic quality, "take the first right, and then take a left."

With that, the automaton side-stepped Percy's still form and continued down its way, disappearing down the same bend its companion had taken a few minutes earlier. Behind Percy, Kassandra let out an audible sigh.

Percy didn't sigh, but he did let the water he had been holding slip back into the rock wall of the corridor. It had taken a bit of effort to call any substantial amount of water from their surroundings – the literal undertaking of the phrase "squeezing water from a stone". To him, though, it was worth the effort. He had been ready to use the water to destroy the automaton if need be, and overall, the water represented a sort of safety net to him. It was comforting to know that it was an ally in times of need.

"Shall we go?" Kassandra asked. Percy nodded.

The two of them set off down the hallway, passing the first corridor that Kassandra had brought them down and now effectively going the left direction of the first fork they had encountered. Following the automaton's direction, Percy took the first left and then the right, and found himself staring at a closed double door. It was made of a similar metal to the other single doors they had seen in the rocky corridors of the volcano, and with a hesitant hand, Percy slowly pushed the door open.

Without any squeaks or resistance, the door opened, and Percy peered into the room, his eyes widening as he saw the contents inside. It was virtually a vault, and there was a vast assortment of objects all over the room. From enough suits of armor to equip an army to a veritable arsenal of fine spears, the room was filled with objects of various shapes and sizes. It was a long, grand hall that reminded Percy of a European cathedral.

But to Percy, there was only one object that mattered. And it was plainly visible for all to see.

At the very end of the hall sat a pedestal, and upon the pedestal – or more accurately, floating above it – was a sword. Not just any sword – it was a sword of quality that Percy had never seen before. The hilt was ornamental, but not ostentatious. The blade was a gleaming bronze with no imperfections visible on its surface. Percy could almost see his reflection in the blade. Reaching the base of the pedestal, Percy reached out a hand, only to recoil at the pain of a sharp shock jolting through his extended arm and body. He jumped back, warily looking at the sword and its pedestal.

"What's wrong?" Kassandra asked, looking at Percy with a curious look.

"It… shocked me," Percy hesitantly replied, not sure of exactly what had shocked him. "There is some sort of energy surrounding the sword."

"Maybe it is what is holding the sword up," Kassandra theorized, examining the entire setup. She circled around the stone pedestal and stared at the blade, frowning as she did so. "I have never seen anything like this before."

Percy nodded. "A contraption of Hephaestus indeed," he responded, a hand on his chin. "Any thoughts on how to go about this?"

Kassandra shrugged. "My best guess would be to destroy the base. It seems to be what is holding the sword in place."

Grimacing, Percy examined the pedestal in greater detail. It was, unlike the sword, very plain and simple, being just a stone slab that seemed to be the source of the power that held the sword in place and kept any people from getting close. It looked fairly sturdy and had no clear mechanism to disable. Uncapping Riptide, Percy readied his own trusty sword and prepared himself. He aimed his sword, and with a deep breath, thrust forward and stabbed the pedestal with his sword.

In hindsight, stabbing a _stone_ pedestal with a _bronze_ sword may not have been the best idea, but Percy had little time to think about that as a torrent of energy washed over him. It was unlike the shock he had received before; this time, it was like his body was being rooted in place. There was a weight on his limbs that seemed to lock him into place, keeping his hands on Riptide's hilt and the sword in the stone pedestal.

Kassandra watched with growing anxiety as Percy grunted in pain. The demigod felt energy draining out of him, but the pedestal remained intact, bar the sword that now pushed ever deeper into its stone. Percy knew he could not sustain for much longer, so with a hint of panic, he called upon the little amount of water he had found in the volcano to him. The water rushed out of the stone floor, pouring toward the pedestal. As the water surged into the stone, the pressure increased, and beads of sweat slowly dripped down Percy's face as he tried his hardest to push his sword deeper into the stone.

A light began to emit from the growing crack in the stone, and in the blink of an eye, the stone shattered, sending a burst of power across the room and flinging Percy back some distance. Kassandra, who had been standing nearby, was pushed to the ground by the force.

"Perseus!" Kassandra cried out, seeing her companion on the ground some feet away. The young man groaned as he blearily opened his eyes. After blinking a few times, Percy's vision cleared, and he saw the destruction that had unfolded in front of him. The entire back half of the room was rattled, with many weapons and other objects out of place or knocked to the floor. The pedestal itself was shattered, some of its stone flung across the floor, while the sword that had been suspended in mid-air now lay on its ruins of what was left in place. He couldn't help but crack a smile: his hasty plan had worked.

The smile shrunk when Percy clasped his right hand, expecting to close around the leather wrap of Riptide's grip as he had become so accustomed to feeling. Instead, his right hand closed around jagged metal, and he slowly turned his head to see what he was holding.

Riptide was gone. The bronze blade that had been a constant in Percy's life for years was no longer there. In its place was a pin of some sort – a brooch. To Percy, it looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen it before. Nonetheless, it was twisted and warped, and he knew that it was Riptide. His sword had been the conduit for all of the energy that had come out of the pedestal, and in breaking the stone, it itself had been broken. There was a hollow feeling inside of him. Riptide had saved his life many times, and he had fought his way through difficult situations with it, trusting the sword to always be there when he needed. Now that it wasn't, Percy felt uneasy and vulnerable.

Kassandra walked over and eyed Percy, extending an arm for him to stand back up. After a few moments of silence, Percy accepted the hand, getting back on his feet as he pocketed the ruined Riptide. It felt strange to think about mourning a sword, but even so, it was not the time to mourn a sword – they were, after all, still breaking and entering in an Olympian's domain. Without any hesitation, Percy grabbed the hilt of the bronze sword that they had come to steal, and in that moment, all hades broke loose.

A screaming klaxon blared throughout the rock, causing both Percy and Kassandra to wince at the sound. Percy immediately concluded that he had tripped some sort of security system when he touched the sword, and he cursed for not thinking that apart from the sword's exterior defense, there would be something protecting the sword itself. Still, it was too late to think about that, so the son of Poseidon reached to grab a cloth blanket in the vault – which, incidentally, had been draped over another sword – and quickly bundled up the bronze sword.

"What is that noise?" Kassandra asked, looking around.

"An alarm," Percy replied, also examining their surroundings. He had no idea where the sound was coming from, but he didn't really care either. He tied the sword to his back, making sure it was snug. "They know we are here."

"We need to leave then," Kassandra stated, a worried look playing on her face as she watched him prepare the sword. With a nod from Percy, the two exited the vault room, quickly dashing down the rocky corridors as the alarm continued to sound.

Percy quickly put an arm in front of Kassandra to stop her as they rounded the first corner, narrowly stopping her from running headfirst into an exposed blade that had protruded from the wall.

"That was not there earlier," Kassandra whispered, her voice trembling at how close she had come to running into death.

"Traps," Percy muttered. "This is Hephaestus' style – it all seems normal until you need to leave, and that is when he brings out the traps. Be very careful."

Kassandra nodded, and the two ducked under the blade and continued down the hall, albeit much slower and more carefully now. However, their slow advance out of the maze of rocky corridors was punctuated by the clanging sound of metal upon rock behind them. It was a cacophony of noises that only grew louder.

"Automatons," Percy whispered, looking at Kassandra. "They must be here for us." And left unspoken, they both knew that it was unlikely that the automatons would only be there to capture them – Hephaestus would not appreciate anyone breaking into his workshop, and Greek gods were not known for their mercy.

"We have to move faste- watch out!" Kassandra yelled as a section of the rock wall protruded, extending toward Percy. He barely dodged it by moving forward, but another section of rock protruded from the other side of the wall, catching Kassandra unaware as she focused on the one that nearly hit Percy. She screamed as one of her legs was caught between the protruding rock segment and the other wall, pinning her in place.

"Kassandra!" Percy shouted, hurriedly looking at the protruding rock. It almost looked like some sort of hydraulic system, and grabbing one of Kassandra's daggers from her belt, he did his best to ignore her whimpers of pain as he cut into the exposed mechanical parts behind the fake rock. The rock protrusion lost tension and Percy easily pushed it back into the wall, allowing Kassandra to sink to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Percy asked, unsure what to do to help the woman.

"I- I think my leg is shattered," Kassandra bit out, her face scrunched up in pain. "I cannot move."

"Alright, here. I will carry you out of here," Percy replied, turning around. "Get on my back."

Kassandra grabbed Percy's hand and turned him back around, her brown eyes staring into his green ones. For a moment, it was completely silent and still, and Percy could almost believe that there was no danger coming. But the moment passed, and he knew that they could wait no longer.

"Go, Perseus," Kassandra whispered, still staring into Percy's soul. "Leave me behind."

Percy shook his head. "No. We have already lost Alcaeus – I am not about to lose you here as well."

Kassandra gave a weak smile. "There is no other choice. I will be nothing more than dead weight to you. I will get us both killed."

Percy continued to shake his head. "I still do not see why I should leave you here. I would rather take the chance that you survive than leave you to die."

"It is not you leaving me to die – it is me choosing to stay here. My leg will never recover from this. Even if I were to survive, I would be useless to my king. That is a fate I do not want to face." To stop any further protests, Kassandra put a finger to Percy's lips. "Please do not object; this is my choice, and I hope that you will respect it by leaving here with your life."

Percy's face showcased a multitude of emotions as he dealt with his inner turmoil. Finally, after a few moments, between the blaring of the alarm and the clangs of the automatons approaching, he slowly nodded. Kassandra's smile widened into a full one, and she turned his head to kiss his cheek.

"Go, Perseus," she said again. "Your destiny lies beyond. Alcaeus knew this and I do too – you must live. So go."

Percy straightened as he stood up, and for a fateful second looked back at Kassandra.

"Goodbye, Kassandra," Percy blurted out, unsure of what else to say. He quickly turned and ran down the corridor, dodging every single rock protrusion.

"Goodbye, Perseus," Kassandra whispered, looking at the hero's fleeing back, before she turned toward the hallway they had just come from. The sounds of automatons coming from that hallway only got louder, so she reached around her back and grabbed her bow. Notching an arrow, she waited.

That was all she could do now.

* * *

Percy tried to put all thoughts of the woman he had just left behind out of his mind. It was neither the time nor the place to think about it – he was on the run for his life from the equivalent of killer robots in the middle of a very dangerous and unknown place that was _inside_ of a volcano.

He turned the left, dodged the spikes that shot out of the floor, took the right, and barely squeezed under the spinning blade as he slid across the floor. Picking himself back up, he found himself in the large hall that led to the hot furnace room. This was where he was before Kassandra had gestured for him to go down the side corridor.

There was one substantial difference between then and the situation Percy now found himself in. Earlier, he had blended in seamlessly with the hordes of automatons that moved to each of their stations. Now, he was in the middle of a big circle of automatons, all of whom seemed to glare at him. The demigod had no illusions that his disguise was still working, and he truly began to panic as a few of the automatons walked forward toward him. There was no water to bail him out – he had already used all that he could find in the workshop against the stone pedestal. He had no sword on him – Riptide was broken and the bronze sword on his back was tied up. He had no support – she was left behind him.

Somehow, in the depths of Percy's fear, he had a single rational thought float through his mind: Poseidon was the god of earthquakes as well. He was a son of Poseidon, so it stood to reason that if his father could induce earthquakes, Percy would have some measure of that power as well.

The automatons were still closing as Percy closed his eyes. He had to approach this like he did with water. He had to feel the earth under him – in this case, it was all around him, so he had to tap into his surroundings. _There_! He could feel a rumbling, and all he had to do was nudge it…

A crack appeared in the ground as Percy opened his eyes, and he grinned when he saw the crack. His grin disappeared when he saw a deluge of magma pour from the massive furnace room into the hall he was in, and he quickly turned to run, pushing aside the automatons who just stood there. Many automatons also attempted to flee, but those that were close to the furnace perished before they could even react.

Percy swallowed heavily as he ran. He had only meant to shake the ground enough to get the automatons to run or fall down. Instead, he had induced an entire volcanic _eruption_.

And so the demigod ran for dear life.

* * *

Kassandra groaned as she lowered her bow. She had just spent her last arrow, and the dozen or so automatons that lay on the ground with arrows sticking out of them was a testament to how long she had managed to hold the hordes of automatons off.

When a lone automaton turned the corner and turned its head toward her, Kassandra's blood chilled. The automaton stalked forward with no warning, quickly doing its best to close the distance between it and its target. Kassandra, for her part, felt panic – she had no more arrows, and all she had left was a single remaining dagger.

The automaton quickly fell on top of Kassandra, trying to end the fight as efficiently and quickly as possible. She yelled as she brandished her dagger, trying to hold off the automaton. The automaton, however, had little care her ineffectual slashes, and extending an arm, took Kassandra's throat in its grasp. She gurgled as the automaton continued to squeeze, and even though she stabbed her dagger into its back, it did not stop. She could feel her strength leaving her and her vision turning to darkness.

 _Go Perseus_ , Kassandra thought one last time. _Do what you were meant to_. And then the world faded from her.

The entire volcano shook with a great rumble, and as the automaton lay over Kassandra, the rocky corridor collapsed inward, burying them in an avalanche of rock.

* * *

Percy ran as quickly as he could given the deluge of molten hot lava that was racing after him. He could not stop it – he couldn't feel any water in the lava, so all he could do was run. He brushed aside and dodged automatons that tried to stop him, and soon enough, he had run back into the light of the sun. He looked at the tree line where he and Kassandra had previously hid and shook his head. He knew couldn't outrun the lava forever – he would grow tired and it would not.

Instead, Percy called upon whatever energy he had left and drew the water of the forest. He summoned every drop he could find, be it from the soil, the trees and plants, or the air itself. Letting it wash over him to reinvigorate himself, he forced it forward to the entrance of the volcano just as the lava began to pour out. The resulting combination released massive amounts of steam, but Percy kept at it, pushing more and more water to the entrance.

Finally, he cut the water stream off, panting from the exertion. Beads of sweat dripped down his head as his throat felt parched in the uncomfortably dry air. However, he couldn't help but smile as he saw the front of the volcano completely sealed up.

A great rumble knocked that smile off of his face. He looked upward in fear to see the top of the volcano begin to leak lava.

"That is not good," Percy whispered to himself, slowly backing away from the peak. The volcano began to crack as fissures appeared throughout its side, spreading to the very ground Percy stood on. Somehow, he could _feel_ the pressure building up in the volcano, and he knew it was going to explode; he just wasn't sure how to get away.

Almost instinctually, Percy called water to envelop himself just as the volcano exploded, the entire peak disappearing in a fiery haze of rock and lava. Percy couldn't stop himself from being blown into the sky, the force being enough to vaporize everything else that was beside him. Only his water shield stopped him from being incinerated by the fire or shredded by the force, but as he flew through the air, Percy felt like he was in agony.

The last Percy saw was the shining blue sea. The last thing he felt was pain _everywhere_.

Then he landed and knew no more.


	25. A Solemn Understanding

**A/N:** A bit late, but I'm still otherwise on schedule. Been a bit busy. Fun fact, this is now the longest chapter in the story by a sizable margin, as well as being the first chapter to break 7k words. Shoutout to MasterTrident, who helped me with some great ideas that are in this chapter. I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

The sea was peaceful and the water beneath the surface was still and silent. Schools of fish swam their own way, blissfully unaware of any turmoil or tension in the world above their universe. It was a carefree existence, free from the pain and anguish felt by those whose lives and destinies were dictated by fate itself.

A great impact broke the surface of the water, and the life that lived and existed in the sea hastily moved away as the instigator of the disturbance drifted slowly. Some of the more curious fish and wildlife came to examine the new, unusual specimen, but after a few moments, they had lost their curiosity and patience, swimming away to new horizons as the space around the object became devoid of life. Without anything hindrance, the new object fell, slowly, downward to the bottom of the sea, finding a small gap between rocks to become lodged in.

And so Percy Jackson lay between rocks at the bottom of the quiet, clear water of the Aegean Sea, his eyes closed, his hands without tension, and his mind fully unknowing of the apocalypse that was happening just above him.

* * *

Percy awoke suddenly, his first instinct to suck in air. Instead, he inhaled a mouthful of water, and he hastily blew it out in bubbles of air before his rational mind kicked in and he remembered that he could breathe underwater. Calming his beating heart down, Percy warily began to re-orient himself, his eyes blinking as he tried to find his bearings. It was one thing to know that he could be underwater with no problem – it was a different thing to find oneself underwater in the middle of nowhere.

He felt an object on his back, and one hand reached around to feel a hilt. Turning his neck as much as he could, he saw the scabbard of a blade with a sword inside, and he quickly remembered. Percy propelled himself upward, which destroyed the rocks that he had been lodged in, and broke the surface of the water, looking around to see the shining sea. He spun around before he found what he was looking for – it just simply wasn't what he expected.

The island of Lemnos was virtually gone. The rocky beach that he and Kassandra had landed upon – something that felt nearly a lifetime ago considering how sore Percy felt – was dried and hardened, forming into a dark rock that covered most of the island. Lemnos' many trees and foliage were long gone, and nothing except for the central volcano, which itself looked smaller and was differently shaped than before, was the same as it had been. Where there had once been a lush, vibrant island full of life, there was nothing more than a blackened rock covered in magmatic rock.

Percy breathed deeply as he took in his situation. He had initially thought that he had been in the water for a few hours after being flung from island by the volcanic eruption, but it was evident that he had been unconscious for much longer. The lava that had been pouring out onto Lemnos wouldn't have cooled that quickly. Neither would his numerous wounds of varying magnitudes have healed in a matter of hours – Percy could feel his entire body free of any injury that he had sustained over all the time he had been in Ancient Greece, though he felt considerable soreness. He had also grown a considerable amount of facial hair. All of it added up to a substantial amount of time spent underwater. What had he missed when he wasn't awake?

Percy kicked his legs a bit to propel himself upward and leaned backward, lying on the surface of the water as he stared at the clear blue sky above him. For a few minutes, he drifted on peace, letting the soothing water wash over him as he did his best to clear his mind of worries and fears. Eventually, he felt himself calm down, and feeling the weight of the sword on his back, the responsibilities he had to shoulder came flooding back.

On his back was the sword that King Perseus wanted. Now he had to get the sword back to Mycenae. With that singular goal, Percy began to swim. He felt the water empower his limbs, and diving under the surface of the sea, he propelled himself forward at incredible speeds.

Percy had lost enough – allies, comrades, and friends alike – during his time in Ancient Greece. He was finishing this now and fulfilling his primordial quest.

He had a time to get back to, friends to protect, and someone he loved whose free will was at stake.

* * *

Percy sunk to the bottom of the sea, sitting on the sea floor as he took a quick breather. Even physically enhanced by the water, he could not swim forever, and he could feel a certain tiredness creeping into his bones. He felt stronger than ever before, but without rest and food, he could not sustain himself forever.

Through the water, Percy could feel every current and stream in the sea, and he knew that over the course of many hours, he had only made it a quarter the way back to Mycenae through sea. It was a somewhat roundabout route, since he couldn't travel nearly as fast via the more direct land route. He also was wary of the danger on land – the Dorians that had sacked Athens and then Kymi were likely already turning their sights on Mycenae, the strongest power in southern Greece, which meant that their armies would make the land route perilous at best. He had already lost enough time – for all he knew, Dorian armies could be invading Mycenae already.

However, even as he sat in the depths of the sea, Percy could feel the fatigue in his muscles and limbs. He could only go so far and so fast, and the distance before him seemed to stretch into infinity the longer he thought about it. It was a depressing perception and one that darkened his mood.

"Drachma for your thoughts?" a voice sounded from behind him through the water. Percy, being the son of Poseidon that he was, could hear it perfectly, and he turned in curiosity to see who – or what – was speaking to him.

Standing, or rather floating, behind Percy was a nymph. If they weren't at the bottom of the Aegean Sea, Percy would have mistaken her as a beautiful human woman – her flowing long dark hair would've cascaded down her shoulders if it wasn't held up by the water. Instead, it made a fan-like shadow behind her. Her light brown eyes almost twinkled in the relative darkness, while her smile was warm. Her age was hard to tell – she looked as youthful as someone in her twenties, but she also had a regal stature befitting an older woman. She wore a flowing dress and had a leather pack slung around her back. There was something familiar about the nymph, but Percy couldn't quite place what.

"It is not important," Percy hesitantly said. While the nymph looked friendly, Percy was wary of meeting seemingly-friendly strangers at the bottom of the sea in Ancient Greece.

The nymph pouted a bit. "You _do_ seem pretty sad, traveler. Is there something weighing on your mind?"

Internally, Percy debated the merits of continuing a conversation with the nymph. On one hand, he was cautious of any stranger, but on the other, he had little to lose at this point. Everyone that had helped him on his way was now gone, and he was a son of Poseidon in the sea – his power underwater made him one of the strongest fighters below the surface of the sea, so it was unlikely, at best, that a nymph could pose a real threat to him.

"Well," the demigod hesitantly started, unsure of how to phrase the turmoil in his soul, "it is complicated."

The nymph kept her soft smile as she sat down on a nearby rock. "We have time."

Percy sighed, and took a seat on a rock to sit across from the nymph. "I just feel… lost. I am from faraway, but I do not know how to return home. Everyone that has helped me has died while I am still here."

The nymph nodded. "So you feel unsure of yourself and what you need to do? That is a normal part of life."

"I guess," Percy replied, absentmindedly putting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands. "But I do not understand why I am still here. Others have died, and now I do not know how to carry on and do what I need to do."

"And what do you need to do?"

"I need to save the people I love and care for," Percy whispered.

The nymph stood up, her smile widening as she did so. "Well, then that is the solution to your problem!"

"Huh?" Percy intoned as the nymph swam over and put her hands on his shoulders.

"You need to save those you care for," the nymph said brightly, her tone rather chipper for the somber mood of the conversation they were having. "That means that you should stand tall and move forward to do what you need to do. Do not let yourself be held back by past failures and inadequacies – the people you care for depend on you, and you should not let them down by being mired in the quagmire of the past."

Percy felt his stomach flutter a bit at the words. It was like a simultaneous lightening and loading. He could feel pressure dissipate from the understanding that her words were wise and true, but he also felt the weight of his responsibilities increase. She was right – Thalia, Chiron, Zoë, Annabeth, Grover, Bianca, his mom, his dad, and more all depended on him. If he continued moping around at the bottom of the sea, he would be leaving them out to dry.

He was a hero; that meant he needed to stand tall even when the weight of the world was upon him.

So Percy stood up a different man. One with a straight back and shoulders, with the pressure of his failures gone. His commitments weighed on him, but those would only serve to push him forward, not down.

"You know," the nymph said, "I can see you thinking it over."

Percy turned his head slightly in confusion.

"Your eyes," she continued. "They truly are the windows to the soul. I can see you shouldering the responsibilities that you have, and that is good. It is a normal process as you grow older. You are young, and this is just another step as you become a man. Do you feel better?"

"Sort of," Percy replied. "Better and worse at the same time."

"Sounds right." The nymph slowly pulled away from Percy. "Nothing is ever clear cut and simple – it is a continual process, and you will have to work hard to make sure you do not fail those that rely on you. Forget about the things you do not need and learn how to endure the pain of things to come. In doing so, you will find what it means to be a hero befitting a true son of Poseidon."

"Thank you," Percy quietly said. The nymph nodded.

"We all have our own journeys, and you should be getting along yours."

Percy chuckled a little as he rubbed the back of his head. "Oh yeah, that was actually my other problem. The place I need to get to is pretty far away and I am a little tired. It will take me some time to get there."

The nymph nodded slowly, her brow furrowed in thought. She suddenly smiled and pulled a small bag out of her leather pack.

"This is just the thing!" the woman excitedly yelled as she held the bag up. He looked at the nymph in confusion.

"What is that?" Percy asked, unsure of what a bag could contain that would help him.

"A bag of winds from Aeolus himself," the nymph responded, seemingly pleased with herself. Percy immediately had a flashback to the thermos of winds that Hermes had given him two years earlier. It had saved him at the time and was overall a rather handy tool.

"How did you get it? I cannot imagine it was easy to come by."

"Ah," the nymph closed her eyes as she waved it off, "it was fairly simple. A dispute between Poseidon and Aeolus that I helped arbitrate. Aeolus was happy enough with the result that he gave me the bag of winds as a gift."

Percy gaped at the woman. "You solved an argument between the god of the oceans and the god of the winds?"

She handwaved it away with a chuckle. "It was not that dramatic, in all honesty." Her smile faded a bit. "I will, however, require something in return."

Percy's good humor faded as well. "What do you mean? What kind of object?"

The nymph nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, anything I think is interesting would do. Your sword, for instance." She nodded toward the weapon strapped to Percy's back.

"This?" Percy said as he touched the blade. "Oh, I cannot do that. This is something I need to bring to someone."

"Well, it was just an example."

Percy thought about it for a moment before he remembered what he had in his pocket. He slowly reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a small damaged brooch. The hairpiece was cracked and broken, its seashell-like exterior giving way to its jagged metal interior. It was a far cry from its more familiar pen form courtesy of the time that Percy found himself in.

"This _was_ my sword," Percy solemnly said, holding out the remains of Riptide.

The nymph stared at the brooch. "Does it have a name?"

"Anaklusmos."

She nodded. "A good name for a sword of the son of Poseidon." She held out the bag of winds. "It is a worthy trade."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

The nymph wryly smiled. "Even in its current state, I can feel the power of the sword. It is damaged, but I feel like it has the potential to do more. That feeling alone is enough to make me interested." She shook the bag of winds in her outstretched arm.

With pursed lips, Percy handed over Riptide and took the bag of winds in exchange. The nymph examined the brooch in her hands for a few moments before looking back at Percy.

"I believe you would just need to open the bag," she said, eyeing the bag of winds. "It will take you wherever you need to go."

"Alright," he replied, looking at the bag which was tied off with a small string. "Thank you for everything you have done."

She smiled in return. "It was my pleasure, ah… what was your name?"

"Perseus."

"Ah… like the King?" the nymph asked.

"Yes," Percy replied. It seemed to be the most common comparison made regarding his name in Ancient Greece. "And yours?"

"Oh! I forgot. I am Pleione," the nymph introduced herself. "I was just on my way west to visit my daughters when I bumped into you."

"Daughters?" Percy asked. It was the first time he had seen a nature spirit have children.

"Oh yes," Pleione explained. "I have many daughters. They manage a garden in the far west. You may have heard of them. They guard quite beautiful golden apples."

Percy scrunched his brow. Daughters. Garden. Golden apples. He thought back to every myth he had learned from Chiron during his stint as Mr. Brunner. He thought back to every myth Annabeth had told him like a story. He thought back to his own life experiences.

"Wait," he slowly said, "are your daughters the Hesperides?"

"Of course! I am quite proud of them, you know, as their mother. They have gone so far."

Percy could barely believe it. The nymph he was staring at – Pleione – was familiar because he had already met her daughters, and more specifically, he had gotten to know one quite well. Now that he knew what he was looking for, the physical resemblance was clear as day. Her smile was the same as Zoë Nightshade's, though the latter didn't smile nearly as often as her mother. Her hair was the same as well – long and dark, flowing down the back. Pleione shared many of the royal features that were seen on her daughter, but her overall countenance was much lighter. It seemed like Zoë didn't get it all just from Atlas. In that moment, he also realized that Zoë was alive in this world.

"Is something wrong, Perseus?" Pleione said, snapping Percy out of his stupor.

"No, no," he quickly said. "It is just that you reminded me of someone else I know. She lives… far away from here."

Pleione nodded. "I expect she is beautiful and witty too," she remarked with light laughter. "At any rate," she continued, her laughter dying down, "you should get going. You seem to be in a hurry, and I do not want to take up anymore of your time."

"Ah, thank you," Percy replied, looking back down at his bag of winds. "I will be off then. And again, thank you for everything."

"It was no problem. Stay safe on your travels, Perseus."

Percy nodded, and with a powerful kick, launched himself to the surface of the sea. He savored the feeling of the cool water parting on his face as he shot upward, and he launched out of the water into the air for a few seconds before coming back down with a splash. Percy couldn't help but smile as he floated on the surface of the sea – it was like the rare time he went to a water park as a kid.

"Alright, let's try this out," he whispered to himself in English, one hand ready to pull the string that kept the bag tied and closed. He was a little unsure of untying the bag too hastily given the powerful winds inside of it and the power of the winds from the last time he used it. He needed to go faster and further than he ever went that time. Steeling himself for the worst, Percy surrounded himself with water just in case, and he opened the bag of winds slightly.

The ensuing roar nearly popped his eardrums. It was like a jet engine in his hands, threatening to pull his arms off of his body. He shot forward like speeding train. Percy could faintly hear the sound of a boom behind him as he blasted water away from his path with the sheer speed he was going at, but already, his head was pounding, and he gave in to the physical pressure he felt as his vision darkened.

* * *

Underwater, Pleione mused on the brooch she had received from Perseus in return for the bag of winds. She also heard the distinctive sound of the bag of winds being opened, and even where she stood at the seafloor, the water still rippled to bump her slightly.

She knew all about the son of Poseidon's namesake; it was odd, in her opinion, for one of Poseidon's scions to be named after a son of Zeus, but stranger things had happened in her extended family. Looking back to the brooch, she mused at its form. Perhaps it would become the sword it once was again with some repair. She knew people that could reforge the blade, and with that thought in mind she began to swim west, heading toward the garden of the Hesperides where her daughters resided.

In her hand, the brooch that was Anaklusmos – Riptide in its later life – pulsed slightly. It was an inanimate object, but like everything that had been touched by the powers of the Greek gods, there was an inherent _idea_ inside of it. On the most fundamental level, it instinctively knew what it was supposed to be. In the years, centuries, and millennia ahead, it would be reforged to become a powerful, full blade once more, and it would fight in countless wars, slay innumerable enemies, and it be the weapon of choice of a legion's worth of heroes. And one day, it would go further than any sword would in the history of the world.

Little did Pleione know that the greatest hero to wield it would be both its first and last owner.

* * *

Percy felt something lightly poke into him, and as he blearily woke up and rolled over, he registered the feeling of sand in his face and the sight of the sun in the blue sky. He refocused his vision and saw two men hovering over him. Both were dressed in armor and had spears. One of them had their spear upside down, which was probably what had poked into him as he was unconscious.

"Who are you," the other guard whose spear was not upside down gruffly asked.

"Where am I?" Percy hoarsely asked. In his hand, he still clutched the bag of winds, which was miraculously squeezed shut as he fell unconscious.

"Mycenae," the other guard whose spear was upside down replied. His voice was rather lighter and nicer. "We found you on the beach during our patrol."

Percy coughed out some sand and tapped the sword slung on his back. "I was sent on a quest by King Perseus and I have completed it. I need an audience with him immediately. Tell him Perseus has arrived."

The two guards looked at each other before looking back at Percy. It wasn't everyday someone with a sword strapped to their back washed up ashore and asked for an audience with the king.

* * *

"Oh?" King Perseus intoned as a courier quickly whispered in his ear. "You may as well send him in." The courier nodded and ran back outside via a side entrance. A few moments passed as the various people in the royal throne room, ranging from retainers to courtesans to nobles and the other ambitious people of Mycenae, fell silent in anticipation for whatever now held the king's attention.

The two stone doors of the main entrance to the throne room shifted, jolting the four guards whose job it was to open them. They stood back as the doors were pushed open from the outside, and soon enough, it was evident that only one person was pushing them. Sunlight bathed the man, making it hard for the throne room's occupants to make out who it was, but after the doors had been half opened, the man stopped and strode through the opening. His hair was a mess and his clothes were dirty and damaged, but he walked with a confident swagger that he had lacked on his first arrival to the center of Mycenaean power.

"King Perseus," Percy boomed, his voice reverberating off the ornate vaults of the throne room. "I have returned with what you requested." In one swift motion, he took the sword from his back and presented it in both hands, kneeling before the throne of King Perseus.

There was a fateful silence as the two Perseuses stared at each other. Finally, King Perseus waved it away.

"That trinket? I could hardly care about it now," the man lazily said, leaning back on his throne.

Percy felt his stomach plummet. "What do you mean?" he quietly asked of the Mycenaean king. He could feel his heartrate rising. "This is what you called for me to take in my quest, and this is what I have taken."

 _To find where one must go, one must seek the king,_

 _To find what one must do, the future to one must cling._

The lines of the prophecy that Chronos had given Percy so long ago echoed in his mind. He had followed what it called for, and this is where it had brought him.

"Did you really think I set you on a quest that made you go across the land for a _sword_ ," King Perseus said with an exasperated tone. "Nobody cares about a single sword, unless it can multiply itself for my army."

"Then why did you put me on the quest. Your people – Alcaeus and Kassandra, two people that were loyal to you to the end – _died_ for it. Why did you send them for something that did not even matter?"

King Perseus shook his head. "Who cares about them? They were nothing more than ants to serve my will. No, what I really wanted was the danger that you would face on your quest. I do not like you. I do not want to see you. You are a pestilence upon my lands, and a thorn in my side. The sooner you are gone, be it my hand, Hephaestus' hand, or the world's troubles, the better."

Percy trembled in anger at the words that King Perseus uttered. He strapped the sword that he had painstakingly gotten with many sacrifices on his back. "How dare you," Percy whispered, his voice low and steady. "How dare you toss aside people who serve you wholeheartedly. You are their leader – they deserve more than you. You are a disgrace to the gods."

"What would you know of disgrace!" King Perseus yelled, standing up for the first time. From his pedestal, he stared down into the fiery eyes of Percy with fire of his own. "What do you know of the failure of the gods!"

The king gestured all around him. "Do you know that there are thousands of Dorians, armed to the teeth, waiting for the slightest flaw in my city's defenses to plunder and loot Mycenae? Did you know how many of my people have already been lost to the barbarians? Where were you when that happened. You should have warned us!"

Percy didn't back down in the slightest. "You gave me a quest, and I completed it to the best of my abilities. I _watched_ cities be burned by the Dorians. I held people who died by them. Do not lecture me on where I was – I was fighting the Dorians. You had me cast aside frivolously because you wanted to make a point about the gods. Perhaps you should look in the mirror, because I do not see anything in you that makes you better than them."

King Perseus snorted. "Then you know nothing of them. Were it not for Poseidon, Andromeda would still be alive! It was all your father's fault that she is dead, and I will never, ever forgive that."

Percy froze. His father had killed the Andromeda of Greek myth? He couldn't imagine the kind man who liked to wear Hawaiian shirts and flip flops ending a woman's life.

"I do not believe you," Percy replied, unsure of his answer.

"I do not need you to," King Perseus spat. He turned to face his throne before whipping around again. "Get out of my city."

Percy stood there, locked in another staring match with the King of Mycenae. "I need a boat."

King Perseus waved dismissively. "Done. Now get out of my sight and never come back."

With a heavy heart, Percy strode out of the throne room, leaving behind his quest with King Perseus and carrying new, uncomfortable questions.

* * *

Percy maneuvered the boat expertly on the blue sea. He had been given a decent craft by the Mycenaean Navy, and now he was back on the Aegean Sea. At first, he had been a bit lost on what to do – he had only asked for the boat so he could get wherever he wanted to go quicker. He hadn't quite thought ahead to where he would go with the boat.

Then he remembered the words of the prophecy that he had been given. He had followed it to the best of his ability, and this is where it led him. There was only one thing left to do – find Chronos to find answers. The primordial of time was the only one that could help Percy return to the time he needed to go to, so that was where he needed to go.

Percy remembered the way back to Serifos. Now that Scylla and Charybdis were gone, the sea was calm and it was smooth sailing back to the island that Percy started his journey on. He passed many of the smaller islands and rock formations that he remembered Alexis steering his own craft past when Percy was rescued by the fishermen. Between what Percy remembered of the map that Alexis had initially given him when he left the small island and Percy's own innate navigational ability, finding the way back to Serifos was not hard at all.

The demigod smiled as the island of Serifos came into sight. His smile dropped when he noticed the smoke rising from the island. Willing the water to push him along as fast it could, Percy sped toward the island, fearing the worst.

As he turned around the perimeter of the island to find the dock that he left from, Percy's stomach plummeted. Fires raged throughout the small town on the island of Serifos. As he came within docking distance with the island, he could see bodies scattered throughout the stone paths of the town, and Percy's soul raged in anger at the sights he saw. He noticed a larger ship of a cruder design than any vessel made on Serifos was also docked, and he immediately came to a terrible conclusion.

"Pirates," Percy spat under his breath. He jumped off of his boat and sped down the bloodstained path. The fact that their ship was still here meant the pirates themselves were also still on the island.

He turned the first corner on the path and saw two men standing on the road. Both had swords on their belts and each carried some loot taken – jewelry and metals among other goods. With a roar, Percy brandished the sword on his back and swung, slicing down the chest of the closest pirate. The man fell to the ground with a grunt. His companion jumped backward in shock and dropped his ill-gotten gains. Pulling out his own sword, the man strode forward and locked blades with Percy. Normally, given the man's relative size advantage over Percy – he stood half a head taller and looked much bulkier – the man should have won the trade, but Percy was bolstered by his demigod powers and his own rage, and he overpowered the older man before impaling him through the chest.

Percy Jackson would show no mercy to the scum that would kill innocents and pillage lives. Not after everything he had seen. He would normally give people a chance to surrender, but these were people who had made their choice to destroy others long ago and would feel little remorse for the suffering they caused. They would not hesitate to kill him along with everyone else on the island, and Percy was not about to roll over and let them harm the people who had shown him kindness when he needed it.

"Help!" a scream came from inside a nearby house before it was cut off. Sparing no thought, Percy crashed through the wall of the house, not even bothering to use the door. Inside the abode, three pirates stared at the demigod. One of them was beside the door, ready to attack whoever entered. The other two hovered over a bloodstained woman, her throat freshly slit. Her clothes were torn, and her skin was red from attack.

Percy saw red in his vision.

The pirate nearest to the door rushed at Percy, being the quickest to recover from the shock of someone crashing through the wall. He was the first to die. Percy slashed once with all of his strength and cut the man cleanly into two, his torso from the waist up falling backward disconnected from his legs.

One of the pirates yelled in horror at the sight of his comrade being cut in half, while the other pulled out his sword. Metal clanged on metal as he locked blades with Percy, but to the demigod's surprise, this pirate twisted his blade and forced Percy to drop his own. The pirate cruelly smiled at the surprise disarming, but Percy simply closed the distance and threw a heavy punch into the man's chest. He felt bones crack under his fist, but he gave the pirate no reprieve, throwing punch after punch into the man's chest. Forcing the pirate against the door of the house, he continued his assault, not caring that the man's ribcage had long turned into dust and his torso into a mess of flesh. He ignored the blood seeping out of every facial orifice of the pirate. After a final brutal fist, Percy let the long-dead man slump to the floor and turned his sights to the last remaining pirate, who remained beside the dead woman.

Percy took note of the man's loose pants, the sweat in his hair, and the abused state of the dead woman.

"Mercy, mercy please," the last pirate pleaded, dropping to his knees. Percy ignored him as he reached for his fallen sword. "I beg you, please!" Calmly striding over to the man, Percy stood over him like an executioner.

"Mercy," Percy whispered. "What mercy did you show her?" he asked of the pirate, pointing at the dead woman.

The pirate said nothing, his breath catching as he quietly sobbed.

"But I will show you some mercy. A quick death is mercy enough." Before the pirate could respond, Percy thrust his sword forward, piercing the man's heart. He kept the sword in the man as the pirate spluttered for a few moments and withdrew it once the man went limp. Letting the pirate fall to the floor, Percy grabbed a nearby blanket from a bed and threw it over the dead woman. Wiping his sword on one of the dead pirates' shirt, he exited the house via the entrance he created.

"Is there anyone else?" Percy yelled into the air. Silence filled the air. Percy didn't know where to go from here, so he wandered down the streets. Every now and then, there would be a pirate that would try and attack him, but Percy had no issues dispatching them all.

There was a trail of bodies on the ground, both civilian and pirate, that grew larger on the path in a certain direction. Percy followed the path to come to a town square of sorts. There was a makeshift barricade there and piles of bodies. Many of the pirates had died in the square, but there were also many deaths for the people of Serifos.

"Wh-who goes there?" a voice coughed out behind one of the barricades. Percy quickly ran over to check who was still alive. He turned the corner to see Alexis sitting against the barricade, one hand over his bleeding abdomen and his other arm cut off. A trail of blood leaked out of his mouth.

"Alexis!" Percy yelled, kneeling down. He cradled the dying man as he searched for a bandage of some sort, but Alexis put a hand on Percy's shoulder to stop him.

"No point," the older man grunted, the pain of his wound getting to him. "Cannot stop it anymore."

"I am sorry," Percy said despondently. "I could not come back in time to save you all."

"S- save?" Alexis spluttered. "No, that is not your job. You are human like the rest of us. Do not put unrealistic expectations on yourself. Even a hero can fail. You have done the best you could." With that, Alexis leaned against Percy's shoulder and sighed, spittle and flecks of blood coming out as he did so.

"Remember us," Alexis suddenly said, looking at Percy. "Remember us, Perseus, when you do great things in the future. I know you will go far – do not let this keep you back." The man closed his eyes. "I am glad I knew you, Perseus."

With that, the man fell silent and slumped over in Percy's arms.

Percy stared at his dead friend, unable to form a thought. All he knew was that he was in emotional pain.

"AH!" Percy screamed into the sky. He gave into the most primordial response to pain – what other response was there?

"I know the feeling of loss, Percy," a calm, wise voice came from behind him. "And I know that you have experienced it all too often in recent times."

Percy whipped around to see Chronos standing behind him. His robes were clean and free of the blood and grime that coated every other surface of Serifos and its people. Putting Alexis' body gently on the ground, Percy stood up and faced the primordial.

"Why?" Percy whispered, his voice hoarse.

"Because it was necessary," Chronos solemnly said. "Loss is inevitable – even us immortals have to experience it. Loss gives perspective and understanding."

"I- I don't want to feel it anymore," Percy angrily said. "I hate this feeling!"

"The feeling of powerlessness," Chronos nodded. "An inescapable feeling. It's horrible to feel that you could've done something more. If it helps you any, take heart in knowing that everyone who died had already died. The only difference is the human element – now you know about it on a personal level. In the grand scheme of things, their losses will not even register."

Percy stared at the _protogenoi_ as he clenched his fists. "Screw the 'grand scheme of things'. _I_ knew about them, and that's all that matters to me. I knew them, I lost them, and now I mourn them."

Chronos smiled. "And that, my friend, is the correct answer." He reached out into thin air and materialized a staff in his hand. It was a twisted piece of wood, seemingly natural yet ornamental at the same time. "It's heartening to know that these losses have only brought out the best of you instead of destroying you."

"What is that?" Percy asked, his voice a low growl still.

"My staff," Chronos proclaimed. "A source of my power. Give me the sword." Percy handed his sword – gotten from the vaults of Hephaestus' forge – to the primordial, and the powerful being held both tools out. A glowing light emitted from each object, forcing Percy to look away, and Chronos pressed the two together. When the white light finally faded and Percy could look back, the staff was gone and only the sword remained.

It was, however, not exactly the same sword that Percy had handed over. Its hilt was entwined with curved wood, and an inscription in a language to ancient for even Percy to read was along the blade.

"Your final gift," Chronos whispered, before he fell to one knee as he extended the sword out. "A significant amount of power has been poured into it – use it well."

Percy accepted the sword. "I… I will cherish it."

"No!" Chronos yelled suddenly, shocking Percy. "No, do not cherish it. It is not an ornament. It is a tool to enact destiny, to complete Fate. There is no point in treating it as a prized object. Use it when you must and discard it when you have to. It should not be held above lives – it should be used to save them.

Percy nodded. The moment his hand had closed around the sword's grip, he _knew_ what he had to do and how to use it. It was an understanding beyond any Percy had known before. Knowledge from the weapon flooded into Percy's mind, and when he blinked again, Chronos was gone. Percy was alone, surrounded by death and the fire of a burning village.

Percy closed his own eyes. He thought back to everything that had happened during his time in Ancient Greece.

Meeting Alexis. Arriving at Serifos. Leaving. Fighting Scylla and Charybdis. Arriving in Mycenae. Meeting King Perseus, Alcaeus and Kassandra. Their travels. Athens. Galene. Theseus. Kymi. The boat captain. Alcaeus' death. Lemnos. The forge. Losing Riptide. Kassandra's death. Meeting Pleione. His argument with King Perseus. Coming back to Serifos. Killing pirates. Seeing Alexis one last time.

A circular path. He was now where he started.

Percy recited the prophecy given to him by Chronos in his mind.

 _Without friend and without foe, the hero is far from home._

He initially had no one, and he was far from his time.

 _For quite some time, this new land the hero must roam._

He had many journeys and travels.

 _To find where one must go, one must seek the king,_

He had to find the Mycenean King Perseus to receive a quest.

 _To find what one must do, the future to one must cling._

He never lost sight of his goal – to return to his time and loved ones.

 _A great sacrifice must be made, as all worthy things require,_

Many had been lost for him to get where he was now.

 _For to gain the needed power, one must go through fire._

Cities had been burned. Chronos had given him his new weapon in a burning village.

 _Your true enemy still waits, stirring as you go,_

His enemy was in the future and not yet awake.

 _But not now – later, for time is not your woe._

And now was 'later'. And Percy knew what to do with time.

With one last great yell, Percy stabbed the sword into the ground. A column of white light emitted from the crack in the Earth, running through the length of the glowing sword and into the sky. Lighting split the sky. Thunder boomed. The waves roared.

In the middle of a burning island, in the center of the fire, Percy Jackson stood tall and strong, defiantly looking upward into the future – or rather, his present. And as soon as it started, it ended. The lightning stopped. The thunder echoed no more. The waves calmed.

And Percy Jackson was gone.


	26. An Auspicious Return

Thalia felt a tear roll down her cheek even as her expression remained impassive. There was something deep inside her, buried by the webbing and threading of ancient Greek magic, something that screamed in pain and frustration as she watched Percy Jackson disappear into nothingness, but it was not strong enough to break free. Aphrodite's machinations kept a solid hold on the daughter of Zeus.

So, in the end, Thalia just stood there and watched as the smoke cleared and rubble fell, as the blinding light gave way to a harrowing darkness and Kronos laughed cruelly in Luke's voice.

 _She had no mouth, but she had to scream._

Annabeth yelled as loudly as she could, but gagged and muffled as she was, the demigod had little ability to make herself heard. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking into the cloth rag that covered her mouth. Kronos' slow, cruel laughter echoed off the high vaults of the chamber, filling the void left by the searing event.

The guards that had brought out Annabeth were stock still from the sight before them, as was Victor. In the latter's case, he was thoroughly taken aback. In all of his years of living and serving under Kronos, he had never seen anything that came close to what had just happened.

Aphrodite pouted a little. "That's a real shame. I had high hopes for the boy, you know?"

Kronos stopped laughing as he turned to the goddess, a smile still playing on his face. "Oh, my dear goddess, I'm sure you'll get over it sooner rather than later."

Aphrodite chuckled in response, a light twinkling sound that was at odds with her present company. "Of course. I had high hopes for Percy, I truly did. Unfortunately," the goddess continued, her voice turning darker as she turned to the docile Thalia standing beside her, "he had poor taste. Even I couldn't fix that." After a momentary dark look played itself on the beautiful goddess' face, she eerily brightened up with a dazzling smile. "On the other hand," Aphrodite slickly continued as she slid an arm over Kronos' chest, "that means I have more time to spend with you."

Kronos – using Luke's face – smirked. "Better?"

"A definite improvement," Aphrodite seductively purred.

"Quite the silver tongue you have on you," Kronos muttered, though he did not object to Aphrodite's physical proximity.

"But the best tongue – that I can assure you…"

The two were broken out of their quasi-embrace by Annabeth's muffled screams, which were increasing in intensity and duration. Kronos sneered as he saw the young demigod cry and scream at the sight of Luke Castellan's body being used by him.

"You can take that out," he half-heartedly ordered, gesturing at the guards. "Let's see what she has to say." One of them quickly nodded and ripped the cloth gag in half, taking it out of the girl's mouth.

"How dare you!" Annabeth immediately yelled, her gray eyes burning at the sight before her. "How dare you use Luke like that!"

"Silly girl," Kronos scoffed, shaking his head. "Luke Castellan is dead. I'm all that's left of him. He gave his soul so that I could live, and for that, he will be immortalized… in me."

"Bastard!" Annabeth screamed. "I don't care what kind of lies you told him! You killed Luke and then you killed Percy – fo-for that, I will never, ever stop fighting you!"

"Weren't you going to oppose me anyway?" Kronos replied dryly, a wry smile on his face at the young girl's rant.

"Thalia!" Annabeth continued, ignoring Kronos speaking in Luke's voice. "Thalia! Please! This isn't you – fight it!"

The daughter of Zeus in question stood impassively, unresponsive to Annabeth's pleas.

"Well, that was amusing," Kronos noted as Aphrodite laughed behind him. The two Ancient Greek beings turned to face the thrones of the Olympians, ignoring Annabeth. Kronos stared at Zeus' platinum throne with an almost reverent expression, barely breathing as he examined his son's seat of power.

"For millennia my brethren and I have labored in pain over the consequences of my children rising up against me. I made my mistake then – I should've finished the job more thoroughly." To his side, Aphrodite shifted uncomfortably – after all, had Kronos done what he said he should've done, she wouldn't exist at all.

"Now," Kronos continued, "it is time for us to step back into the world. It is the time for our revenge. At last, we will cast down the Olympians and throw them into the dark pit of Tartarus, banished to the furthest corners of history as relics of a bygone era. We, the Titans, will reclaim our rightful spot at the height of the world!" He drew another dagger, one identical to the one he had thrown at Percy, and raised it above his head, poised to strike at the seat of Zeus' throne.

A loud crackling sound shook the Titan out of his stupor. He quickly turned around, but the light before his eyes was so bright that even he and Aphrodite had to cover their faces. It was like a beam of light stretching from the heavens to Olympus – a strange thought, considering how high up Olympus was already. The beam of light smashed into the ground, but even as the light faded backward, the column of blue-white energy that it had been emitting from remained, streaming upward like coursing electricity. After a few moments, the column became less opaque, and with his powers and enhanced vision, Kronos could almost make out the figure of a person – a man – in the column.

The beam of light faded completely and left a room of silence.

Annabeth's eyes widened.

Victor's nearly bulged out of his sockets.

Aphrodite's jaw dropped.

Kronos felt his heart stop – in surprise, mostly, but he would be lying if there wasn't the ever so slightest twinge of fear somewhere deep inside his soul.

Percy Jackson stood in the center of the room, on top of the blackened marble where he had been whisked away in the first place. His head was tilted upward, but his eyes were closed. Slowly, he took a deep breath in, savoring the air of his own time, before letting it out slowly. He lowered his head as he opened his eyes, viewing the scene before him.

The room was deathly silent as Percy took in his surroundings.

"P-Percy…" Annabeth whispered, unable to comprehend what she had just saw. He looked radically different – his facial hair was grown out and he wore a tunic and pants that looked medieval, if not older. The demigod smiled at his good friend, but he turned back to face his enemy without a word. His friendly expression melted away into a mixture of emotions. It was a face that chilled all those who saw it turned toward them, and even Kronos, the ancient Titan that he was, felt a quiver of _something_ inside him. It was an almost primordial expression, one that was a strange combination of fury, pity, and determination.

"Kronos," Percy growled, his voice low and deadly. "We have business to settle."

The Titan had nothing less than a dumbfounded expression on his face. "How?" the immortal muttered, hardly believing what he saw before him.

The Percy Jackson who stood before him was nothing like the Percy Jackson that had disappeared just moments earlier. _That_ Percy Jackson was little more than a boy, only growing into his demigod powers and without any control. All he had was raw, untamed power.

 _This_ Percy Jackson was nothing like that. If that old Percy Jackson looked like a boy, this one looked like a fully-grown man – complete with beard. He wasn't much taller than before, nor considerably more muscular, but the way he carried himself told a deeper story. His unruly black hair and slightly tanned skin were two of the more visible indicators to this new Percy Jackson. Something had happened to this particular son of Poseidon, and Kronos could feel in his bones that it was nothing beneficial for him.

"Perseus Jackson," Kronos intoned, steeling himself as he stared at the demigod. "You survived. I'll admit, I am surprised by your tenacity. Tell me, what has happened to you?" Kronos gestured around the room. "I'm sure we're all wondering."

"Enough." A single word chilled the room's air. Annabeth stopped struggling to stand up, staring at her friend with wide eyes. Percy had uttered that single word with such pain and emotion that it had shocked the normally logical daughter of Athena.

"That's enough," Percy repeated himself, staring at Kronos. "All of your plans, your schemes, will end today. All of them. It's high time for you to pay for all the people you've killed."

"Oh," Kronos nodded, twirling his dagger around. "And I suppose that you, Perseus Jackson, hero of Olympus and heir to Poseidon, will be the one to do that?"

The two of them circled around the chamber, with Percy's back now toward the gods' thrones and Kronos' to the throne room's grand doors.

"I'll do what I have to," Percy replied defiantly. "If that means I have to stop you, then I will."

"Then you will die!" Kronos suddenly roared, throwing his dagger at Percy in a redux of their previous encounter – minutes earlier for Kronos, but for Percy, it may as well have been a lifetime earlier with all of the experiences he had faced since seeing that dagger fly toward him.

Percy pulled his sword off of his back, snapping the cloth binds that kept it on him. Extending it out, he grimaced as he felt power surge through his arm and out of the sword to collide with the oncoming dagger. It was almost magnetic in nature, the feeling of repulsion between the two objects. Time slowed in the space between them, suspending the dagger in mid-air.

For a moment – one that felt stretched out to infinity – Percy could see surprise and confusion blossom onto Kronos' expression. Then the moment ended and the dagger spun around to shoot toward its owner. It caught Kronos in the middle of his chest plate, eliciting a low grunt from the Titan as he was picked up off his feet, smashed through the marble throne room doors, and down the hillside of Olympus all by the force of the returned dagger.

Aphrodite gasped as her co-conspirator was blown out of the throne room altogether, whipping around to Percy with a frightened look. She had not expected Percy Jackson to ever be able to match Kronos in combat, and yet here he was, standing triumphant in the first of blows between the two. The goddess of beauty staggered backward toward her still and unwilling servant Thalia, who stood where she had been ordered to be.

For his part, Percy was also surprised by what he had just done. Half of it was hopeful, with him wishing what he wanted to happen. The other half was instinctual, like he knew what he needed to do. The sword that he held in his hand was unlike any other. His hand slipped into its wood-entwined hilt, and it felt as comfortable as Riptide ever had. The blade, with its engraving, almost whispered to him, giving him unconscious instructions for how to use its mighty power.

"Who's next?" Percy whispered. He asked it quietly, but the room was silent enough after Kronos' unintended rapid exit that everyone could hear him.

Slowly, Victor unsheathed his own weapon and strode over, standing where Kronos had been moments ago. Percy stared at the older demigod – even though he felt stronger than he had ever felt before, he was still wary of the Victor. The man had, after all, brutally defeated him in their last fight.

Victor gestured with one hand for Percy to attack, but this time, Percy stayed still. He remembered exactly how attacking first had turned out, and instead, he raised his sword and took a defensive position. The older demigod frowned, and after a few moments of inaction, ran forward, sword brandished and ready to kill.

Perhaps it was innate property of the staff-infused sword, or maybe it was just Percy's growth as a fighter, but unlike the last time they had fought, Victor's sword was not a blur of metal in the air. He could see every slash, cut, and thrust in almost slow motion. Parrying the blade was easy. Dodging the massive sword was child's play. For the first time in a swordfight, Percy felt free and unburdened, outmaneuvering his opponent at every juncture.

Victor yelled in frustration as he continued to swing – and miss. Even his more precise combinations of "fast" attacks failed. It wasn't even his fault; he was fighting as well as he ever had. The problem, if it could be called that, lay with his opponent. Percy Jackson had somehow turned from a regular demigod, one like any that Victor had faced and beaten before, into someone – no, _something_ – that a mortal simply couldn't match. Considering how Kronos had been soundly humiliated just moments earlier, Victor wondered if even immortals could match Percy's newfound prowess.

Another swing from Victor's sword ended in another miss, this time leaving the blade embedded in the marble floor that Percy just vacated. Spinning quickly, Percy moved his own sword more nimbly than his size and his sword's size would've suggested was possible, slicing deeply into Victor's upper arms and legs. The older man roared in pain as he fell to the ground, energy leaving his limbs through the cuts he sustained.

Percy whipped around to face the assembled group of people – Annabeth, Aphrodite, Thalia, and the two guards who had long been scared witless. His sword was slightly behind him, with only the faintest hint of blood tracing the edge of the blade. With narrowed eyes, he glared at Aphrodite and slowly moved forward to the goddess with clear intent.

 _Free Thalia_.

That thought reverberated in everyone's mind. It was unspoken, but the idea was clear. Annabeth waited with bated breath as Percy strode over to Aphrodite, stopping just a few yards away from her and Thalia.

"I'll be honest;" Aphrodite began, "I did not expect you to come back here. And definitely not like this."

"I don't care," Percy quietly said, ignoring the goddess as he looked slightly downward. "I only want you to do one thing – free Thalia from your control." He looked upward to stare into Aphrodite's wide eyes. "You can do whatever the hell you want after that."

Aphrodite tilted her head toward the ceiling and laughed. It was not a laugh like any Percy had heard from the goddess before. It lacked the perfect tone of an actress' practiced laugh. It didn't have the lyrical quality of a warm friend's. Rather, it was cold, cruel, and above all, impersonal. It was entirely at odds with Aphrodite's carefully crafted image of beauty, but when she looked back down at Percy, he could see in her eyes, swirling with madness and burning with rage, that she no longer cared about the vain things that had driven her for so long. Something had irrevocably changed about the Greek goddess of beauty, and Percy felt his hairs stand on end.

She was dangerous, and he didn't know what that meant.

"You sweet, stupid little boy," Aphrodite growled, her smile, twisted as it was, still at odds with her words even as her fingers twitched. "You have no idea what you are getting involved in."

"So what?" Percy yelled, raising his sword to point at the goddess' chest. "I know that you've done something to Thalia, and that's all I need to know." He retracted his sword and held it with both hands, taking a fighting stance as he glared at the goddess.

"Foolish boy," Aphrodite cursed under her breath. Beaming a wide smile at him, she suddenly perked up. "That's it! I know _exactly_ what you need. Oh, Thalia!" the goddess cried out dramatically, causing the unresponsive girl beside Aphrodite to turn and face her. "Why don't you get… let's say, _reacquainted_ , with Percy here. You are, after all, his lover, are you not?" When Thalia failed to respond to that, Aphrodite snarled and grabbed both sides of the girl's head, grotesquely nodding it like Thalia was a doll.

"Yes, master," Thalia whispered under her breath, her normally bright blue eyes dull, cloudy, and unfocused.

"Well, go ahead girl!" Aphrodite ordered, shoving the demigod forward.

Percy stood frozen in his fighting stance. He was prepared to take on Aphrodite in a fight to the death – and he had been pretty confident about his chances, considering how he had once fought against Ares himself and came out in better condition – but as he watched Thalia slowly walk over to him, he couldn't move a muscle.

Thalia. The one person who he had longed for when he was in the past. The person who tied him to the present, who gave him strength and will to move forward and do what he needed to do to make it back. If only just to hear her laugh once again, to stare into her eyes one more time…

Thalia pulled out her can of Mace and unsheathed it to reveal her spear. On her other arm, her replica Aegis shield was fully expanded.

Thalia. The girl who fell out of a tree. The friend he had made over the course of a grand adventure.

The woman Percy had come to love.

He couldn't do it. He knew he couldn't. He couldn't fight her. But as Thalia continued to move toward him, Percy knew, deep in his heart, he would have to. He would have to overcome that block, or he would die. He would have to raise his sword against the person he had sworn to love.

With a low grunt, Thalia leaped forward and thrust her spear, forcing Percy to quickly jerk out of the way. Even as he did, he was too slow – the spear cut through the cloth of his tunic and sliced his skin of his side. Percy hissed as he felt the pain, but ignored it as best he could, readying his sword for the sole purpose of defending himself. He could not bring himself to attack Thalia, but he would still try to defend himself.

Thalia followed up her initial thrust with one of her more traditional maneuvers – a one-two combo from her two pieces of equipment. She quickly turned to face Percy again after he leapt to the side, lunging forward with a shield bash. Percy threw his arms up and jumped backward as much as he could, taking the impact of the shield's face on his forearms. Knowing Thalia's next move as well as he knew his own, Percy raised his sword vertically in front of him, twisting sideway as Thalia lunged forward again, this time with her spear. The spear's tip narrowly missed him, scraping against the metal of his blade and going past him into the air.

She withdrew, and Percy repositioned himself, holding out his sword in front of him with both arms.

"Bravo!" Aphrodite cried from behind the two. She clapped as she yelled. "Keep at it!"

Percy tuned out the goddess as he used one hand to gingerly feel out his wound. It wasn't particularly deep, but he couldn't twist his torso without pain erupting. Such an injury would only serve to be a detriment to Percy's fighting ability.

Thalia fell into a more esoteric combat stance – shield out front with her spear leaning on the top of the shield's frame as she stood horizontally. After a short pause, she began her attack anew, and Percy felt himself being pressured backward, barely able to keep up with the ferocity of her moves.

"Now would be a good time," Percy whispered under his breath to his sword. He ignored the fact that he was talking to an inanimate object – it was, after all, enhanced by Greek magic, so it was fifty-fifty on whether it would actually respond. Unlike with Victor or even Kronos earlier, Percy's sword was doing little to help. Its time-based abilities that had allowed Percy to gain the upper hand against both of his previous opponents were a no-show, meaning that Percy was on the backfoot. His hefty sword was powerful, but against Thalia's more robust spear-and-shield combo, he had little reprieve; her spear was simply nimbler and wieldier than his sword in their fight. His only saving grace was that he had fought alongside Thalia so many times that he had basically learned her fighting style, allowing him to predict some of her moves and keep up with her as she pressed the attack.

"Thalia!" Percy yelled, falling back for the umpteenth time. "Please, stop this! You know me!" The girl gave no indication that she did as she swung her spear in a wide arc, forcing Percy to duck.

"Her mind and soul are _mine_ ," Aphrodite crooned from a distance. "The Thalia you knew and loved is long gone."

Percy shook his head. "No! I don't believe you." He looked back up at Thalia, sweat dripping down his forehead as he breathed heavily.

"Thalia!"

* * *

 _Somewhere, out of space and out of time, Thalia Grace floated in nothingness. Her eyes were closed as she drifted in the cosmos. It was like a warm blanket, enveloping and comforting her. There was nothing in the world that could make her care anymore, nothing that could rouse her from her quiet, peaceful slumber…_

"Thalia!"

 _"Wh…" Thalia grumbled, her closed eyes quivering as she struggled to open them. "What's that? Who's there?"_

 _Try as she might, her body simply refused – her mind was split in twain, and while some part wanted to see what the world beyond darkness was like, another part – a greater, larger, and stronger part – was content with the status quo. And so she lay in nothingness, her brief struggle forgotten and behind her._

 _Until a jolt passed through her body like a bolt of electricity. Thalia's eyes snapped wide open, and for the first time in a long while, she saw her surroundings or lack thereof. There was no comprehending her environment – it was faint, light, and completely devoid of feature. A chill passed through her as she contemplated it all._

 _"Hello?" Thalia asked out loud, hearing her own words echo endlessly._

" _Am I dead?"_

 _Silence._

" _No, my dear," a voice suddenly cut through the void. "You're not. Not yet."_

 _Thalia spun around, trying to pinpoint where the voice came from. It was impossible – the voice seemed to permeate from everywhere, yet nowhere, at the same time. There was no way to find something in a place where space and time meant very little._

" _Show yourself!" Thalia cried, her breathing quickening in pace as she began to panic. How could she get out of this place?_

" _Don't be worried," the voice replied. Unlike the last time it spoke, Thalia could distinctly hear where it came from, and she turned around quickly to face a beautiful woman clad in an stylish, form-fitting dress._

 _"Aphrodite," Thalia whispered. "I should've known."_

 _"Thalia Grace," Aphrodite said as she smiled. "There is nothing to worry about, my dear girl. Sleep – it will not hurt."_

 _"What is this place?" Thalia asked, ignoring Aphrodite's words._

 _The goddess huffed lightly as she looked around. "Oh, nothing too special. Really, it's just you – your inside, that is. And on a mental level, not a physical one. Could you imagine how nasty that would be?"_

 _"Why am I here?"_

 _"Do you not remember?" Aphrodite prompted, putting one hand on a chin as she looked at the demigod in faux-disbelief. "Please, do think back."_

 _Thalia closed her eyes, trying to look through her memories like she was reading a book. It was all so scattered, like the pages of a volume ripped out and scattered by the wind…_

 _An endless staircase. Running._

 _There was a palace. Gates. She entered through them._

 _Blue light. A two-faced man on the carpet._

 _Aphrodite was there._

 _And then she felt weak._

 _"You!" Thalia suddenly spoke up, opening her eyes with a fire her physical body didn't possess. "You did this to me! You've… you've stolen my body!"_

 _Aphrodite laughed, filling the void with the melodious sound. "Did I? Honestly, I'd like to think that I've simply freed you from your responsibilities, as numerous and back-breaking as they are. You can rest here, in a world of your own creation inside you, while the you that's out there can do what is needed to- well, let's just say it can do what it needs to do."_

 _"Rest?" Thalia growled, her voice trembling in anger. "Rest? How can I rest here? This is no world – this is a prison, and I want out!"_

 _Aphrodite's smile faded as she examined the girl in front of her. "I had hoped that you would make this easy," the goddess snarled, her face contorting into an expression of frustration and hate. "I had hoped you would see the light and go back to where you came from, but it seems like you're unwilling to cooperate. Very well." Aphrodite floated backward, bathing herself in golden light. The light was intense enough to force Thalia to look away, and when she turned back to the goddess, she gasped. Aphrodite had shed her modern dress in lieu of battle armor – a gleaming bronze set styled in the same Ancient Greek fashion as the armor of the other Olympians. Her calves and forearms wore bracers, while her chestplate – favorably sculpted to fit her form – and metal skirt were rounded off by a white cape that hung loosely behind her. A helmet, ornamentally designed and decorated with jewels, protected the goddess' head._

 _"It looks like you will require some more persuasion," Aphrodite continued. "Let's see how you match up against me now." From nothing, the goddess drew out a thin, elegant sword - one that looked more fit to be displayed than to be fought with. Still, a weapon was a weapon. Thalia looked at the new threat with some fear. She had nothing on her to fight with, and while she was confident in her own powers and strength, she didn't fancy fighting against an Olympian – even Aphrodite._

 _The goddess flew forward, her sword raised for a downward strike. Hastily, Thalia pushed herself to the side, narrowly missing the slice as Aphrodite turned to face the girl. The goddess' eyes burned with rage as she looked upon Thalia._

 _"Stay still!" Aphrodite yelled as she thrust her sword forward, only to miss as Thalia dodged the second strike._

 _Falling back to create distance between them, Thalia took deep breaths as she tried to analyze her situation. After a few moments of thinking and watching Aphrodite glare at her, the girl noticed something: she didn't need to breathe hard at all._

 _In fact, Thalia didn't feel physically pained at all. None of the exertion from her evading moves that she would've normally expected was there._

 _"Why?" Thalia murmured to herself, trying to figure out what the nature of her discovery meant. As Aphrodite began advancing toward her again, she blinked a few times before she came up with a conclusion._

 _"This is all in my head, isn't it? You didn't just transfer my soul or whatever to some faraway place?" Thalia asked, yelling across the distance between her and Aphrodite._

 _"So what if it is?" Aphrodite replied, a dangerous smile playing on her face. "It's my prison, you're the prisoner, and I'm the one with the weapon."_

 _Thalia silently thanked the goddess for confirming her suspicions. She looked down at her right hand, imagining as best she could. She closed her eyes and saw it in her mind. She could see it in her hand, growing from its mortal container into a full weapon. She could almost feel it. She_ _ **could**_ _feel it._

 _Opening her eyes, Thalia Grace grinned at the shocked Aphrodite who had stopped in front of her. Brandishing her spear – an exact copy of the one she used in the real world – she fell into a familiar and comfortable stance, ready to fend off Aphrodite's attacks._

 _"Time for round two." And with that, Thalia lunged forward, taking the offensive with determination and a smile._

* * *

Percy had a confused expression on his face as he examined Thalia from a distance. She had been moving toward him, but out of nowhere, she had suddenly stopped and now looked forward with a blank expression. Her spear and shield hung limply in her hands. It was like a ship after the wind had been taken out of its sails.

"Thalia?" Percy hesitantly asked, unsure of what to do. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the two guards that had brought Annabeth in earlier circling around him, but he put that thought in the back of his mind as he cautiously moved toward Thalia. He extended one hand to put on her shoulder, but when his hand came within inches of touching her, it was repulsed like two opposing magnets.

There was a faint golden bubble surrounding her body, and as Percy backed away from it, he noticed that behind Thalia, Aphrodite was also in a trance-like state with a sheer golden shield around her. Percy stood back and looked at the two, trying to think of what it could mean. There was nothing he could do either way.

A shuffle of movement – leather on marble – sounded behind Percy, and he instinctively reacted by raising his sword as he turned, parrying two simultaneous overhead strikes from the guards that had been lining up behind him for an attack. Both men's expressions showed the same surprise and fear, but Percy paid little attention to their faces. With a great heave, he pulled back his sword and slashed horizontally, breaking through both of their blades.

Percy ignored their dumbfounded looks and kicked the guard on the left, sending him flying back onto the marble floor. Percy stabbed his sword into the marble floor to stand as he strode forward to the fearful guard and took him by the shoulder with one hand. With the other, Percy balled it up into a fist and threw a heavy punch into his gut, leaving the groaning man to fall to the floor and into unconsciousness.

Picking up his fallen sword from its impromptu stand, Percy ran over to Annabeth, cutting off her binds and gently taking out her gag.

"Percy," Annabeth breathed as soon as she could finally speak again. She stood up and embraced him, taking him into a deep hug.

For his part, Percy looked a little stunned at the emotional display, but placed a comforting – or so he hoped it was – hand on the back of her head as she sobbed into his chest.

"I thou- I thought you were dead," Annabeth cried, her voice muffled and scratchy. "It was… just too much."

"I'm alright," Percy quietly replied, "I'm alright. How are you here? I thought you went into the Labyrinth with Grover and the others."

Annabeth didn't immediately respond, instead digging herself deeper into Percy's chest and warmth for comfort.

"We got separated," she finally said, looking up at Percy. "I don't know where they went, but there was a fight between us and some monsters, and I got split from the rest of them and captured by Kronos' troops. I- I saw everything; I saw Luke turn into Kronos…" she trailed off as her eyes unfocused.

"It's alright," Percy whispered, holding his dear friend close to him. "Don't blame yourself – he chose his path, not you. I wish that it turned out differently too, but now we have to fight him. We have to fight Kronos."

Annabeth looked up with a defiant look in her eyes, agreeing with Percy. She took a deep breath to steady her emotions, and Percy let go of her as she recomposed herself.

"Better?" Percy prompted.

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah." She looked past him to where Thalia and Aphrodite stood frozen in place. "What's going on with them?"

Percy turned to gaze upon the same sight. "I think I have an idea of what's going on. I just hope that Thalia's winning."

* * *

 _Thalia grunted as she blocked a wild slash from Aphrodite with the neck of her spear. She didn't feel physical exertion in the traditional sense in her mindscape, but there was still a level of effort on a mental level that she had to put in. It was more a battle of wills than a battle of skills, and the fight with sword and spear was just a representation of a process that was occurring on a more fundamental level._

 _"Why won't you just give up!" Aphrodite yelled, hacking away with abandon as Thalia gracefully maneuvered to dodge each strike. The goddess was becoming increasingly more frustrated by the fight, and it was showing – her once-perfect hair was frazzled, her dress was dirtied and ripped, and her smooth, flawless skin was slick with sweat._

 _It was a contest of their souls, and Thalia Grace was thoroughly winning._

 _She remained composed. That wasn't to say that she didn't show signs of being in a physical fight – she still showed signs of the mental pressure she was under, much like if she had been fighting in a real battle in the outside world. Sweat stuck her shirt to her skin and she felt hot from the fight. These were, however, normal for a real fight, and as such, they were quite normal for a mental one too._

 _Thalia showed signs of fighting. Aphrodite showed signs of a complete breakdown._

 _"You will fall in line!" Aphrodite shrieked as she lifted her sword – once ornamental and beautiful, but now pockmarked with scratches on the blade and chipping on the hilt – and sliced downward._

 _"No!" Thalia finally yelled back, blocking the blow above her head with her spear held horizontally in her two hands. The two strained as one pushed down and the other pushed up, but with a great yell, Thalia let go of one hand and used the other to pivot her spear vertically, wrenching the sword out of Aphrodite's hand and sending it flying into the void._

 _"What?" Aphrodite exclaimed, falling back slightly as Thalia floated above her, victorious with one hand on her spear and the other clenched in a fist. In her stupor, she failed to notice the fist shaking slightly._

 _"How? How did a half-breed like you beat me?" Aphrodite shook herself out of her confusion and back into anger. "You insolent whelp! I will put you back where you belong, with all the other trash that you associate yourself wi-" She was cut off by a scream as Thalia speared her right shoulder. Only then did Aphrodite finally look into Thalia's eyes to see the fire turn into a raging inferno. There was a multitude of emotions playing out in those blue eyes, and Aphrodite felt herself shake in fear._

 _"That's enough," Thalia said quietly, her voice slightly trembling. She looked down at the goddess, pulling out the spear. "This is over."_

 _"Over?" Aphrodite replied. "This is far from ov-"_

 _"This is over!" Thalia roared, her eyes brimming with lightning as some spilled out and arced around the sides of her eyes. "You've caused so much pain, for me and for everyone around me… I don't even know how to judge you for all of it."_

 _For once in her life, Aphrodite stayed silent, digesting the demigod's words. What could she say? She had no response to pure, unfiltered truth, and now that she was at the demigod's mercy, she had no counterattack either._

 _"I want revenge," Thalia solemnly said. "I do want revenge. For everything that you've done. I want to take my revenge for everything you've destroyed." She hoisted the spear above her, ready to impale the goddess in the middle of her chest. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife as Aphrodite looked up with begging eyes, silently pleading to be spared. After a few moments passed, Thalia lowered the spear._

 _"But I won't," Thalia finally said. She threw away the spear, letting it dissipate into the void. "because that would make me exactly like you. I don't want to be the evil and vindictive person you are. I want to be better."_

 _Aphrodite trembled in fear and anger. "You think you're so much better than me, don't you? You're a mortal, a half-breed! You're nothing compared to me!"_

 _Thalia sighed. "No. I_ _ **know**_ _I'm better than you."_

 _"Agh!" Aphrodite yelled as she lunged forward at Thalia with her bare hands. The electricity that had been dancing around Thalia shot forward, ensnaring the goddess like rope._

 _"That's enough," Thalia repeated, looking around. "It's time for this to end." She closed her eyes and drew as much power as she could from within her, extending tendrils of lightning out from her body. They shot off into the void, striking the fabric of the false reality that had been created. Thunderous booms echoed in the distance until finally, a small crack appeared in the void._

 _"No!" Aphrodite screamed as the cracks widened and enlarged. "It can't end like this!" The void disintegrated, and Aphrodite cracked and shattered like a mosaic along with it, leaving only Thalia, her eyes still closed in concentration, in nothingness. And then she was gone too._

* * *

Thalia's eyes snapped opened as the golden shield faded away. She fell to her knees, panting as she tried to inhale as much air as she could. For the first time in a while, she felt clearheaded. The fog that had obscured so much of her mind had faded away, and she could finally see the real world clearly.

In front of her, she could finally see Percy clearly.

He was just as shocked as her, and after a few still moments, he was the one to cross the gap, helping her rise to her feet. The two of them locked eyes, unsure of what to say – indeed, what they could say at all.

Thalia leaned in place her lips on his, and Percy reciprocated, putting one hand on the back of her head as he fell deeper into it as well. Behind them, Annabeth smiled as she saw her friends reunite.

They broke apart and looked at each other once again after sharing the moment.

"Your beard is itchy," Thalia finally commented. "I'm not a big fan of it."

Percy stroked his beard. "Really? I thought it added a lot of character to me. Makes me look more mature and cooler."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Kelp Head."

The two faux-glared at one another for a few seconds before they broke out into laughter, unable to contain themselves. Thalia clasped her arms around him.

"It's good to be back," Thalia whispered.

"Oh yeah," Percy replied, thinking back to everything that happened. "It definitely is."

A coughing sound shook them out of their small world, and the two turned to see Aphrodite shakily rising to her feet. No longer did she seem like the goddess of beauty that Percy had butted heads with so often. Her composure was destroyed – physically and mentally. Her gait was unsteady, and her breathing erratic.

Percy readied his sword as Thalia picked up her spear. For good measure, Annabeth grabbed a sword from one of the fallen guards, readying herself to fight.

"I- I can- I can't believe," Aphrodite rasped, her voice weak and hollow. She gazed directly up at the ceiling. "I can't believe… I can't believe…" After taking a few steps, she fell to the ground, one of her heels' strap breaking as she did so.

"It's over," Thalia spoke out. "You've lost, Aphrodite."

"I can't believe…" Aphrodite croaked one last time before she fell silent. Suddenly, she stiffened, straight-backed as she shook slightly. As quick as it began, it ended, and Aphrodite's gaze fell to the marble floor.

"Lost?" she uttered. The voice immediately caused goosebumps for all three demigods. There was something eerie in it, something that had not been there before.

"Lost?" she repeated, Aphrodite rising as she spoke. "Hardly. This… is just the beginning." With that, Aphrodite looked up and Percy felt every alarm in his head go off as he felt stricken by fear.

Aphrodite's eyes _were not her eyes_. They were windows to no soul, a portrait of madness. They were kaleidoscopes of disorder, twisting and turning into never-ending patterns that threatened to suck in his soul if he stared too long. There was no way to explain it – they just _were_.

They were Chaos.

"Oh, not so brave anymore, my dear heroes?" Aphrodite's voice crooned. Even in the same mocking tone, there was something underneath the voice that caused Percy to shudder. There was power, there was weight, and there was mayhem. There was no logical way to put it, no analytical explanation for it.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I… am Chaos." Aphrodite's face leaned forward, a crazy grin on it. Chaos took a deep breath and smiled, closing its eyes as it savored the air.

"It… has been so long since I have tasted this. Not since I was scattered to the void, never to return." Chaos extended both arms, gesturing wildly. "Well, I have returned! When I was disembodied, no one ever imagined this – not even me. This time, I don't intend to leave."

Percy trembled in the face of Chaos. It was unlike anything he had faced before – there were equal parts of fear and determination coursing through him. Brandishing his sword, Percy readied himself. Beside him, both Thalia and Annabeth followed suit, preparing their respective spear and sword to fight.

"Ah," Chaos sighed, looking at the three young demigods with an exasperated look on Aphrodite's sculpted features. "You are all so young. I did not come here to fight – not that I could, at any rate, with my current strength. No, you will have to make due with someone else. If my timing was correct…" Chaos trailed off as the sound of marching feet growing in the distance from outside the throne room.

"And that's my cue," the _protegenoi_ announced, snapping the demigods' attentions back to him. "I have things to do, and I can't waste any more time being tied up with the likes of you all. That's why I have him to keep you all busy."

Percy growled. "Stop!" he yelled, rushing forward with his sword. Chaos flashed him a bright smile before exploding into a ball of light. When Percy could finally turn back and look, Chaos was gone.

"What… was that?" Annabeth asked, her voice shaky from fear and confusion.

"Chaos, the primordial being," Percy announced, turning back to face her and Thalia. "I don't know how he has done it, but he's back from wherever he had been put, and, well, his name kind of explains what he wants."

"A _protogenoi_?" Thalia asked incredulously. "How are we supposed to stop that?"

Percy looked down at the marble floor, sighing. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, we sho-" Percy was cut off by the sounds of men starting to chant. All three demigods suddenly remembered why Chaos had left in the first place.

The sound of marching from beyond the broken throne room doors only grew louder, and as Percy, Thalia, and Annabeth took defensive positions, the air only got more tense. The sounds were getting louder, and closer…

The tops of their heads could be seen marching up the stone stairs, and as they began clearing the stairs, Percy grimaced. The lead figure was none other than Kronos himself. His chestplate bore a dark burn mark, but otherwise, he looked fit to fight. His expression was dark and angry, and his sword – Luke's Backbiter, which was Kronos' Scythe's alternate form – was ready in his hand. Behind him was a whole host of men, armed with swords and clad in armor.

Percy began to walk forward to meet them all in battle, steeling himself to fight the good fight, when Thalia's arm was extended in front of his chest, impeding his path. He looked to her in confusion.

"No," Thalia quietly said. "Let me do this. I need to be the one to fight him."

"Thalia," Percy began, "that… isn't Luke. There's no way to tell if he's even still in there.

"Please, Percy," Thalia whispered. "I need to do this. If not to try one last time, then to give myself closure."

Percy looked back at the veritable army headed by an angry, dangerous Titan, before turning back to his girlfriend. He sighed. "Alright," he whispered back, stepping back. "Go ahead."

Thalia gave a small smile to Percy and began to walk forward herself to meet Kronos in battle. As she began walking, Percy felt his sword heat up. He looked down at it, trying to figure out where the odd sensation was coming from. When he held the sword up to look, he swore he could hear whispers from the weapon. The golden blade hadn't changed, but it was as if the sword itself was trying to tell him something.

"Thalia, wait!" Percy suddenly said. He had a bare understanding of what it wanted him to do. He wasn't one-hundred percent sure, but it was a strong feeling inside of him, like it was something he _needed_ to do.

Thalia turned around, an expectant look on her face.

"Here," Percy said, walking forward to hand her his sword. "Something tells me that you should use this." Thalia blinked a few times before hesitantly taking the weapon.

"Are you sure?" Thalia asked.

"Yeah," Percy replied, nodding his head. "I think that's what it's trying to tell me."

"Alright then…" Thalia held out her spear. "Take this – I'm not going to let you be defenseless in this fight."

Percy gratefully accepted the weapon. "Never used a spear before. Guess there's a first time for everything."

Any further conversation was cut off by a simultaneous roar from the assembled group of enemies. The three demigods turned to see their about-to-be enemies preparing themselves to fight.

"Perseus Jackson!" Kronos snarled. "Face me!"

Thalia placed a comforting hand on Percy's shoulder and locked eyes with him for a moment before turning away, wielding the sword in one hand as she confidently strode out to the center of the throne room.

"I'll be your opponent, Kronos," Thalia announced, holding her sword at the ready.

Kronos narrowed his eyes. "You, daughter of Zeus, are hardly my match."

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "What, too scared?"

Kronos twirled Backbiter before settling into a stance. "Very well, then – I will kill you, then him, and then the rest of the Olympians and their spawn before taking my rightful throne at the top of the world." The two of them stayed in their stances for a few seconds before Kronos lunged forward and the fight began in earnest.

Behind them, Percy and Annabeth readied themselves to fight the horde of men that had been with Kronos. He counted nearly three dozen of them.

"Kronos must've assembled all of his troops in Olympus for this," Percy muttered.

"Can we take them?" Annabeth asked, wielding her sword. "I mean, you're probably going to have to pull a lot of the weight."

Percy grinned as he looked at Annabeth. "Oh, I think we'll be just fine. Just protect my sides."

Striding forward with Annabeth to his side and one pace behind, Percy spun his new spear a few times to get used to the feeling of it. As he saw the group of men in front of him, he couldn't help but be struck how similar this situation felt now. Whether it was Athenian guards, Dorian invaders, or pirates, Percy had plenty of experience fighting against groups of enemies.

The warriors closest to Percy were taken aback by his confident demeanor, but they charged forward nonetheless as he got closer. Percy simply readied his spear for the attack.

His enemies had no idea what they were about to be in for.

* * *

Thalia grunted as she locked blades with Kronos once again. She had instinctively understood what her new sword was capable of – it had come easily the moment she grasped the hilt – but many of its powers were negated by Kronos' own. He was, after all, the Titan Lord of Time. However, in Thalia's favor, it worked both ways – the sword largely negated the Titan's vast set of powers, leaving him to be just a super powerful immortal with millennia of experience and skill. Had Percy not given her his sword, the fight could've turned out very differently.

Kronos seemed frustrated against Thalia. She was not quite at Percy's level in terms of sword fighting skill, but she was nimbler and more agile, dodging more of his strikes and getting her own in at weird positions and angles. It took much of his own skill, and that of Luke Castellan's, to keep up with her. Even so, he was not accustomed to fighting with a sword at length and Luke Castellan was not Thalia Grace's equal. Only his own vast library of knowledge and skill kept him in the fight.

Thalia sensed her advantage and pressed it, going on the attack and throwing out combinations of slices, slashes, and thrusts. Many of them slipped through Kronos' faltering defense.

Kronos simply backed up and laughed.

To Thalia's surprise, none of her attacks – some of which were quite heavy – did anything more than cut his clothing. Kronos' skin was unblemished, like her sword could do no damage to it.

"My skin is invulnerable to your attacks," Kronos boasted, twirling his sword. "There is nothing you can do."

Thalia didn't respond, and instead she stared at Kronos' left forearm. The Titan frowned and looked down as well. From a slice on his left forearm, a trail of golden ichor mixed with red human blood ran down the length of his forearm and past his hand, dripping on the marble floor.

"How?" Kronos barely managed to utter before Thalia resumed her attacks, continuing to rain down as many hits as she could. All she knew was that her sword could somehow negate parts of whatever Kronos had done to gain such defense, and it was her only chance to defeat the Titan.

"Luke!" Thalia suddenly cried out, looking straight into Kronos' eyes. The Titan did his best to ignore it and focus on taking advantage of Thalia's relative lack of attention, but even with Thalia pleading to his host body's soul, she was still a more than formidable fighter, and Kronos had little opening against her to counterattack. Instead, he chose to focus on protecting his core and weak spot, leaving his periphery open to attack.

"Luke, please!" Thalia pleaded. "I know you're in there!"

"Luke Castellan is dead!" Kronos snarled. "I am all that's left!"

"Luke, come back," Thalia continued, ignoring the Titan. "There's still a chance for you to come back to us."

Krono sneered. "What makes you think he would want to back? Why would he want to go back to your rundown little camp, where he is left to be forgotten by the gods as he rots away?" He followed up his harsh words with a counterattack, and for a few moments, it seemed that Thalia was the one on the back foot.

"No," she defiantly replied. Thalia looked up at Kronos. "I don't think Luke wants to return to Camp Half-Blood. Somethings can't return to the way they were, and that's one of them. But it's not too late for other things. Luke can still be a hero – help us defeat Kronos! Be the hero that you always wanted to be!"

"Never!" Kronos yelled, ferociously attacking. "You will never come out!"

"What?" Thalia whispered to herself, confused.

Kronos seemed to struggle with his own body. His left arm refused to obey, swinging wildly to block his freedom of movement with his right arm.

"Stop!" Kronos yelled – with a hint of fear, Thalia detected. Noticing it, she pounced, throwing out another round of attacks. Sweat coated her skin and she felt physically fatigued, but nevertheless she pushed through to try and defeat Kronos.

"E…nd this," Kronos stuttered – or was it Luke? "No!" Kronos yelled.

"P-please, Thalia." Luke again.

Thalia stepped back for a moment, solemnly nodding. Kronos screamed as both of his arms were wrenched out of position. His chest was completely exposed, and Kronos knew it. In that moment, Kronos summoned what power he had left and regained control of his right arm. With a quick throw, he flung Backbiter toward Thalia before he lost control once more.

"This is for Luke and all of the lives you've selfishly destroyed," Thalia promised, before thrusting her sword forward with both hands. Kronos' eyes widened as the blade passed cleanly through his chestplate, through his flesh, and out the other side. She stayed in that position for a few seconds before looking away as she pulled out the sword, flicking away the Titan-human mixed blood onto the floor from her blade.

"B-but, the Curse," Kronos whispered to himself in disbelief as he sunk to the ground. Luke's body writhed for a few moments like he was hooked up to an electric current before finally falling still. A smoke, little more than a wisp, floated up from Luke's body, before being scattered by a divine wind. It was like a scream echoing in the wild – barely heard, and gone before it could be understood.

"Luke?" Thalia hurriedly said, kneeling on the floor by his head.

Luke opened his eyes and grinned, albeit a bloody and unconvincing grin. "Hey there, Sparky," he whispered. His voice was low and weak, a result of his chest wound pouring out massive amounts of mixed blood.

"Stop talking," Thalia muttered. "I'm going to try and bandage you up." Luke held out a hand to stop the daughter of Zeus, instead lying back and looking at the ornate ceiling of the Olympian throne room.

"There's no point," he rasped. "I'm going to die anyway."

Thalia put her hands down and just looked at Luke.

"I-I'm sorry, Thalia," Luke quietly said. "I was so scared. I made so many mistakes. I shouldn't have ev-"

"No, no," Thalia replied. "There's no point talking about it now, not with you like this."

"D-do you forgive me? _Can_ you forgive me?"

Thalia pursed her lips. "No, I don't. I can't forgive you for everything you've done. In the end, your actions caused a lot of destruction and pain. What you did before and after that doesn't mean you're free of that."

Luke nodded his head on the ground. "That's what I thought. I wish I had a chance to redeem myself, but it seems like that's just not in the cards." He closed his eyes for a few seconds and Thalia thought the worst, but he re-opened them right after. "So, Percy?"

Thalia nodded. "Yeah, Percy."

Luke looked away. "Good choice. I can't think of anyone better."

"Yeah," Thalia agreed, her voice cracking slightly, "neither can I."

Luke's hand slipped into Thalia's, and he turned back to face her. "Don't cry, Thalia. It doesn't suit you. Talking about what could've been is as useless as trying to change the past."

"I know."

A few moments of silence passed between the two as Luke's breathing became shallower and more strained.

"Promise me that after all of this," Luke finally said, his voice barely audible, "you'll… you'll remember me. You and Annabeth. Percy too. Remember the me that was the hero, not… this."

Thalia nodded silently, and Luke smiled one last time as he closed his eyes. He never opened them again.

* * *

Percy swung the spear in a big fan motion, smacking multiple enemies to the ground. Another charged at him with his sword above his head, and Percy silently turned to let the man impale himself on Percy's spear. Pulling the spear out, Percy examined the battlefield. None of the enemies were on their feet anymore. Some were on the ground, unconscious – many more were bleeding or dead.

Annabeth looked around. "That was… something."

Percy grimaced. "I know you're not used to killing, but this is what we need to do now. This is a war."

Annabeth sighed. "I know that. It's just… it's not something I'm going to be able to get over that quickly." Percy nodded.

"Understandable." He turned to find Thalia, and he saw her kneeling beside a body. In his heart, he knew what had happened, and as he walked over, he prepared himself. As he approached, he found his suspicions confirmed – Luke Castellan was dead, and Kronos, hopefully, with him. Percy placed a hand on Thalia's shoulder as he looked at Luke's peaceful expression. She didn't react.

A hissing sound shook both of them out of their own reverie. Percy turned to see where the sound was coming from, and as he spun, he quickly found it.

Kronos' sword, Backbiter, was embedded in Percy's dad's throne.

The double-edged sword had pierced the leather of Poseidon's throne, and a golden mist was dissipating from it. To Percy, it looked bad, so he ran up to it and put a hand on the hilt of Backbiter.

"Ah!" Percy yelled, quickly letting go. The hilt was scorching hot – he couldn't grasp the sword's hilt, much less pull it out. All he could do was back up and watch what happened.

The mist continued to emit until the throne itself began to lose its luster. The black leather became wrinkly and ripped. The metal of its swivel and pedestal rusted, giving the throne an overall dilapidated look.

And then the throne exploded.

Percy was thrown back by the force of the explosion since he was so close, barely reacting fast enough to cover his eyes and face. When he looked back, he saw with horror how where his dad's throne had once been, little more than a crater still existed.

"Percy!" an elderly voice called from the entrance of the throne room.

The demigod in question spun around to see an old man clad in armor with a trident limping on the marble floor, barely making it a few steps before collapsing to his feet. Percy, Thalia, and Annabeth all rushed over, unsure of who it was.

As he got closer, Percy's heart froze. The old man in front of them was none other than Poseidon himself – his dad.

"Dad!" Percy yelled. "What happened?"

Poseidon breathed out, spitting out golden ichor. "Oceanus. It took everything I had to defeat him, but he still managed to get a blow on me." Poseidon unbuckled and took off his chestplate, revealing a nasty gash on the front of his chest.

"Oh my god," Annabeth whispered, seeing the extent of the injury. It was deep and wide, bleeding incessantly.

"There is nothing that can be done for it," Poseidon murmured, barely able to keep coherent. "But Oceanus taunted me near the end. H-he told me that Olympus was the 'real prize', so I came here as quickly as I could. I had only just made it to Olympus when I felt what was left of my power collapse." The Olympian looked past Percy's shoulder to see the ruined crater that used to be his throne. "That explains why."

"How… how can we help you?" Percy asked, unsure of how to go about healing the Olympian.

Poseidon cracked a smile. "You already have, Percy. One of my wishes was to see you again, and now I have. That's more than I could've asked for."

"No. No, no, no," Percy began muttering, futilely putting his hands on the gash to try and stem the bleeding. Poseidon gently removed his son's hands and held them in his own.

"Percy," Poseidon said seriously, getting the demigod's attention. "This is fine. It's normal. Everyone loses those they care about at some point. Even us immortals are no exception to that rule."

Percy just shook his head.

Poseidon smiled sadly. "I wish I could've been a better father. My greatest regret was leaving you and Sally alone. I should've stayed, pacts be damned." He pulled Percy into a tight hug.

"Promise me one thing, Percy," Poseidon whispered in his son's ear. Percy nodded. "Promise me that you won't lose your way. That you won't fall and fight against everything you swore to uphold. Promise me that you will always be the hero."

Percy swallowed heavily. "I promise, dad."

Poseidon leaned back and nodded to himself, and with one hand, picked up his trident and placed it into Percy's.

"This is yours now, Percy," Poseidon solemnly said. "With it comes the responsibilities of the sea. You must carry those responsibilities and shoulder them in times of peace and hardship alike."

Percy slowly nodded, his expression distraught.

"You are my heir, my successor. But most importantly," Poseidon leaned in close again, "you are my son. And for that, I am forever glad. I am proud to have been your father." Poseidon's grip slackened, and he closed his eyes. "I love you, Percy."

"Dad, no!" Percy yelled as Poseidon fell backward onto the marble floor. "Dad!"

Poseidon lay unmoving on the marble floor of the throne room of Olympus, a small smile on his face.

Percy screamed in frustration, anger, and most of all, pain. It almost felt too much – how much did he have to lose before the Fates had enough? Why, even now, did he lose someone? Percy hadn't even gotten to know his dad as well as he had hoped he would one day, and now that opportunity was gone forever. He yelled again.

Annabeth stood, unsure of what to do. Thalia knelt beside Percy, taking him into her arms. She rocked her in her embrace, doing her best to comfort him.

 _You must carry those responsibilities_.

 _You are my heir_.

 _You are my son_.

 _I love you_.

"It's okay to cry," Thalia whispered. "It's not weak. It means that you cared."

Percy let it all flow through him – all of his emotions, pent up and tumultuous as they were. He held nothing back, opting instead to let it all out. He cried. He sobbed. His tears flowed freely.

In his mind, he knew what he had to do. Even as he cried and sought Thalia's warmth and comfort, he clutched his trident in his hand, tightening his grip. He knew what he had to do.

And the arms around him reminded him that he didn't have to do it alone.

Today, they had fought. The enemy had attacked, and they did their best. There were victories and losses.

Tomorrow, Percy and Thalia would bring the fight to the enemy.

They were going to end this, once and for all.

* * *

 _ **End of Arc II**_

* * *

 **A/N:** Well… that was something. Chapter 25 was the longest chapter in the story at 7,000 words, beating out the previous longest by 400 words. This chapter, 26, is _10,500_ words – over three thousand words longer. It's by far the longest single piece of writing I've ever done and probably the longest single chapter I'll ever write.

I apologize for the delay on this chapter. I found it particularly hard to write and school started quickly this year. I'm still a week behind on this update, so I'm not sure how to fix my schedule. Right now, I'm thinking that I'll either a) do a double update next week, or b) cut one of the final chapters so there's only three more. I'm leaning more toward the first option right now.

At any rate, this is the end of the second arc. I hope you all liked it! Stay tuned for the beginning of the finale arc next week!


	27. Finale Part I: From The Ashes

The rising sun was barely visible behind the smoke that billowed from the wreckage of still faintly burning buildings. Every breath Percy took was thick with the taste and smell of fire and ruin. Everywhere he looked was evidence of what had happened.

Camp Half-Blood, his home away from home, was no more.

Barely anything in the camp still stood. The Big House, which had been one of the more prominent landmarks, was little more than a burnt-out husk of a building, with few of its wooden beams still standing in the midst of its collapsed state. All of the strawberry fields that the children of Demeter had painstakingly cultivated over successive generations of campers were little more than trampled fields, the plants shredded and uprooted. Most of the cabins were damaged in some way, and the ones that weren't were filled to overcapacity by the influx of people needing a roof over their heads in such tumultuous and dangerous times.

"This is bad," Thalia uttered, her voice low and firm in the face of such wanton destruction.

Percy clenched his fists as he suppressed his anger and frustration. There was little he could do here – Kronos and his fellow Titans had planned their attack too well. Both Olympus and Camp Half-Blood lay in ruins, with the latter taking far more damage due to the magnitude of the battle that had taken place. The bulk of the Titans' forces had assaulted the demigod camp, overwhelming the defenders and necessitating the arrival of the Olympians to even the odds. Even so, the collateral damage was too high.

And Percy had been unable to do anything to stop it. He hadn't been able to entirely defend Olympus, and he did nothing for Camp Half-Blood as it was torn apart by forces and powers far greater than its host of demigod fighters. They had rushed over to the camp as quickly as they could after leaving Olympus in Hestia's hands, but it had still been too late. The battle was over and all that was left was the damage that had been inflicted to the people that had once called the place their home. The only satisfaction Percy had was that Kronos had been stopped once and for all, but as he stood in the middle of what was once a thriving bastion for demigods, even that was of little satisfaction to him.

Hearing his shoes crunch on the gravel and debris that littered the paths, Percy made his way over to his cabin – the cabin of Poseidon. The door was barely hanging on, with one of its two hinges knocked loose from the doorframe, and there was the trunk of a collapsed tree – possibly thrown, judging by the fact that there weren't any trees that size that close to the cabin – embedded in the stone of the cabin's exterior, breaking through the ceiling and part of a wall.

Brushing one hand against the wooden door pockmarked with damage, Percy slowly walked into the place he had he had made his own over the past few summers, taking in its current state. The inside of the cabin was trashed and ruined. His bed was broken in half, the drawers – many of which were empty – in pieces, and his shelves, some of which carried mementos of the past, lay on the floor, their contents scattered. The fountain that Poseidon had added as a gift was cracked in half, the water from it leaking onto the floor of the cabin in a puddle. Likewise, Tyson's painstakingly handcrafted decorations were knocked off from where he had put them, many dented and dinged as they lay on the floor. He knelt as he examined some of things on the floor, absentmindedly picking up some of the pieces of his belongings before tossing them away again.

Percy heard a footstep on breaking wood behind him as Thalia stepped in to view the damage with him. They surveyed the damage in silence.

Percy stood up. "It could've been worse." He turned to look out of the broken windows of the cabin that overlooked the lake. "There are cabins that are completely gone. At least I have something to repair here." He fell silent, looking over the calm lake, its small ripples and movements at odds with the immense destruction on land.

"Are you okay?" Thalia asked, concerned by Percy's conflicted expression.

"Yeah… I just kinda want to jump in the lake. I think being in the water would do a lot of good for me right now."

Thalia nodded as Percy strode over to the door near the backside of the cabin that led to a veranda on the lake. He stopped as he opened the door, turning around to face Thalia.

"Do you want to come with me?" Percy suddenly asked.

"Huh? Into the lake?"

Percy nodded.

"I'm not sure…" Thalia trailed off. "If you need some alone time…"

He waved it off, heading back and taking one of Thalia's hands into his own as he stared into her eyes. "I'd appreciate your company."

Thalia slowly nodded and let herself be led out by Percy. The two of them stood on the small covered balcony of the cabin, just inches away from the water of the lake.

"You ready?" Percy questioned. Thalia nodded. "Alright then, hold tight." Thalia slipped both of her arms around Percy's waist, and the son of Poseidon leaned until both fell into the water sideways.

Thalia instinctively yelled, but immediately she realized that this was unlike any other time she had gone into water. For one, she couldn't blow out any bubbles of air because she was still breathing. She looked around to see a faint bubble of air around her and Percy's heads, one that extended to about their mid-torso. Underneath that, Thalia could still feel her clothes and skin getting soaked, but she ignored it as the two of them sunk to the relatively shallow bottom of the lake. When she realized that they had stopped moving, she pulled her arms back and marveled at the sight of the lake from the bottom. Faint rays of sunlight shone through the surface of the water, illuminating small fish as they swam by and the variety of plant life that grew underwater.

Percy sighed, looking around as he extended the bubble to account for his movements. Thalia hesitantly watched a series of emotions pass over his face.

"You okay?" Thalia asked, unsure of what she should do.

For a few moments, Percy didn't respond as he looked off into the distant waters with a solemn expression. Eventually, he turned back to face Thalia.

"I always felt at peace in the water," Percy finally spoke. "Like it was home. Warm, comforting, and secure. I could always be safe in the water. And," Percy's voice cracked, "I felt closer to my dad. Now… I don't feel that anymore."

Thalia grimaced as she walked closer to Percy. She felt a sorrow in her heart for him, but it was hard to show how she empathized. Her relationship with her own mother had not been good, and while her father had been absent for most of her life, he was still alive. Caring for someone else in the midst of their pain was not something that she was experienced in, and seeing Percy, someone she deeply cared for, in such a state only made it more difficult for her to figure out what to do. Thalia slowly brought Percy into a hug, letting him lean his head on her shoulder as she held him. She did her best to comfort him with her physical presence as he began to cry, trying her best to soothe his stormy emotions.

"I failed," Percy lamented. "I should've kept his throne safer. I should've fought better. I should've won."

"No," Thalia suddenly said, causing Percy to pull back in confusion. "You did win. There's nothing you did wrong."

"But my dad-"

"Was already injured badly when he got to Olympus," Thalia completed, determination in her eyes as she tried her best to get Percy out of his despondency. "Kronos managing to destroy his throne was just one part of it. Your dad fought hard and bravely against Oceanus and defended the seas from the Titans. There's nothing more you could've done, and you should be proud of your dad."

"Besides," Thalia continued, whispering as she leaned closer, "you're already a great hero. Don't go putting so much on yourself – you're not alone. I'll be with you every step of the way." She closed the space between the two and kissed Percy. It was a solemn gesture – silence permeated the small pocket of air at the bottom of the lake. Neither dared to move, and Percy, even as he accepted the truth of her words, still had tears roll down his cheeks in the midst of the kiss. Thalia ignored the moist saltiness from Percy's sadness and continued until she no longer could.

The two demigods broke apart panting, a thin trail of saliva connecting the two momentarily as each soul-searched in the aftermath of the moment.

"So don't carry the weight of the world just by yourself," Thalia quietly said with a small smile.

Percy slowly nodded as the bubble shrunk to perfectly encapsulate just the two of them. There was something soothing about them just being together, floating alone at the bottom of the lake. It was calm and quiet, a welcomed reprieve from the responsibilities of the world above. He wanted to savor every moment, especially with her. There was no guarantee they'd have many more, if any, like this.

* * *

Percy and Thalia walked hand in hand back to where the rest of the campers were assembled, having dried off a bit and made themselves look presentable. There were a couple of stares as they made their way to the center of the dining pavilion, which had since lost its roof. The wooden benches and tables were gone, replaced by stone variants haphazardly placed around the area, and as Percy made his way to the small podium where Chiron stood, a silence fell over the campers.

There was a hint of trepidation in Percy's heart as he stood facing all of the campers and more. Some he knew by name, and the rest by appearance. Weariness and pain were etched into each and every one of their faces. For Percy, it felt as though a lifetime had passed since the battle on Olympus commenced; for the campers, the memories of what had happened just a night earlier during the battle at Camp Half-Blood were still fresh and vivid.

He gave a great, shaky sigh as everyone waited for his words with bated breath.

"I know," Percy began, his voice quiet and slow, "that we have all… lost so much." He paused, and a few of the more energetic campers nodded in agreement. Everyone had lost someone or something.

"It's… easy to ask why this happened, why we needed to go through this kind of pain. What's the point of all this if this is all it brings?" Another pause. Percy looked back at Thalia and Chiron. The latter gave a thumbs-up for encouragement while the former smiled at him. "I think that's the wrong question. There is no 'why' to what happened. The fact is that it did happen, and nothing we could've done would've changed that. It didn't matter if we were here or not – this attack would've still happened. This is just an example of what evil will bring to our world. If we fight back, we will feel pain and face loss. If we don't fight at all, we will lose _everything_. It's only right for us to do what we can in the face of such evil."

Taking a deep breath, Percy steadied his rapidly beating heart. At this point, he was pulling from everything he knew – books, games, movies, and most importantly, his heart. The words came out naturally. "The dead are gone. For the rest of us, we can only mourn them and move on. We can honor their memories by fighting against the tyranny of the Titans and more that they would've fought for." Struck with inspiration, Percy remembered an interesting tidbit of information that Annabeth had once offhandedly told him, one that seemed fitting for the time they were now in. "Like a phoenix, we will rise from the ashes of this. We can't stand back any longer – now is the time to attack, to push on and persevere!" Percy raised a fist in the air. "I will march on the enemy to show them that good will not stand by and watch the world burn! Who is with me?!"

For a few still, quiet, and absolutely terrifying moments, there was a silence. Then one camper – a son of Hermes that Percy only recognized from seeing time to time – raised his own fist and roared in agreement. In the blink of an eye, the entire crowd of demigods, spirits, and more were yelling their affirmation. The roar of the crowd was overwhelming, and Percy, breathing hard from his own stirred passion, could feel his heart thumping rapidly in his chest at the sudden surge of adrenaline.

Chiron walked forward in line with Percy, his sword raised in solidarity with the campers. The fact that a respected elder like Chiron was joining in with their cry for justice, for the triumph of good over evil, seemed to invigorate the crowd to greater heights. In the front, Grover – complete with injured leg – did his best to jump up and down in excitement as a smiling Bianca did her best to calm the wounded satyr down. Near the back of the crowd, Annabeth cheered for her good friend, for the responsibility and burden he was now taking on by putting himself at the head of the campers' fight against the Titans – no, not just the campers, but seemingly rather what remained of the 'good' in their mythology. Percy had taken his first step as the moral and emotional leader of the fight against the evil that rose from the depths of the ancient Greek myth.

To Percy's left, Thalia came forward and took Percy's left hand in her right, her own left fist raised in the air like Percy's right. He turned slightly and smiled, matching the one that was on her face as they both turned to look out over the adoring crowd. It did not go unnoticed that their resident son of Poseidon and daughter of Zeus – the only two of their kind – were hand-in-hand with one another. They were a symbol of hope, of two from one of the greatest divine rivalries in the Greek pantheon coming together. There was something infectious about the idea that if they could unify, then so could the rest of them as a single force against those that had dared attack them, taking loved ones and lives so cruelly from the world.

The campers were not the only to notice either.

* * *

 _Atlantis_

Percy walked alone in the stately hallways of what had been Poseidon's palace. Just days after giving his call to arms at Camp Half-Blood, he had emotionally moved from passion to sorrow once more. There was no other way he could feel during his own father's funeral procession and ceremony. The event had drained him to his core, and now he walked alone, in want of time to think and ponder, to move on and get over his pain.

Still, in tumultuous times, Percy had barely time alone to get over such feelings. There was new king of the sea to be coronated and a war to be conducted. He had come to an agreement with Triton, Poseidon's son with Amphitrite, as per Poseidon's will; Triton would take the throne, but Percy would receive his father's trident. To both parties, it was an equitable trade. Triton had no wish to use such a weapon in war, and Percy had no desire to sit on a throne and take political power.

Coming to a stop, Percy stared at the doors that blocked him from his destination. They were grand doors, studded with pearls and diamonds, made from intricately laid and designed shells. It had a definite 'sea' theme to it, fitting as it had been Poseidon's personal chamber. Percy had also received the chamber to use whenever he was in Atlantis, as well as whatever personal belongings Poseidon had left behind inside, as part of the will that Poseidon had written. It was strange that an immortal had written a will, but in hindsight, Percy couldn't help but think that his father had not expected to survive the powerful enemies he had faced.

With a tentative hand, Percy pushed one of the doors, letting it swing frictionlessly open. What he found inside was pretty much what he had expected: a massive bed with curtains, drapes covering access to a veranda with a view of the city, and a large desk that had various documents and trinkets haphazardly thrown about on it. To the side was a slightly ajar door that led to a bathroom. It wasn't an ostentatious room by the standard of a royal, and it was comfortingly functional. It was very much a room that Percy could see himself using, if need be, in the future.

Percy ignored the bed and veranda for the desk. The will had told him specifically of one last thing, one last 'gift', it could be called, that Poseidon had for Percy. Digging through the various unorganized items on the desk, Percy finally came to a stop when he closed his hand around what he was searching for. Pulling a camcorder out of the pile, he held it up to eye level as he examined the device. It was, perhaps surprisingly, like any consumer camcorder that could be found in the mortal world, apart from the fact that it was underwater and seemingly functional. He put a thumb on the closed video screen, but, before opening it, hesitated. He wasn't sure what he would find inside, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for what he would find.

Still, Percy sat down, steeled himself, and flicked open the video screen with his thumb. The camcorder's screen instantly flickered on, its battery indicator showing a full charge. A video also began to play, and Percy felt his heart tighten as he saw his father sitting at the very desk Percy now sat at. _His_ desk now, Percy realized. But he gave little importance to such thoughts as Poseidon began to speak.

The god of the seas sighed, as if he were unsure where to start. "Hello, Percy," Poseidon finally said, his voice solemn and strong, just as Percy remembered it in life. "I am recording this in the event that I will no longer be with you." Poseidon's sea green eyes seemed to dull at that thought. "Terrible and difficult times are ahead of us, and as I see it, there is no guarantee that any of us, even the gods, will survive through it. That is why I am here today – to say what I may never have the chance in life to say to you."

"I have done many horrible things in life," Poseidon stated with some measure of guilt evident in his voice, which had lost a portion of its unshakable essence. "Some cruel, some despotic, and others unjust by modern standards. In my younger days, my brothers and my sisters and I were all more… base. More barbaric. You could even say that I, like my brethren, were more human then, more susceptible to the ebbs and flows of humanity's passion and emotions. I tell you this because I did many things I now regret back then, but out of all of the things that I have done in my long lifetime, the one thing I regret the most… is leaving you and Sally." Poseidon seemed to choke slightly on his thickening emotions just as Percy felt his heart hurt.

"There are many things I would give up to have the chance to redo that moment when I turned my back on her and left you both alone. I can't begin to describe the pain and anguish I now feel because of what I have done – not just for myself, but what I have inflicted on both you and your mother."

Percy quickly paused the videos as he squeezed his eyes shut. Even so, the faintest drops of tears leak out, becoming one with the water around him. In a single instant, Percy could almost see what life would've been like with a father that loved him, cherished him, cared for him. He could imagine it already – childlike peals of laughter, a loving and strong embrace, and a general warmth that, apart from what his mother had given him, was bereft from the other figures in his childhood.

"No," he said to the frozen image of his father, "don't say that." The angst in his heart at what could've been remained, but Percy hit 'play' again, pushing forward.

"There is not enough I can ever do to apologize for this," Poseidon continued. "I have been too much of a coward to fully apologize to you and your mother, even when I should've rightfully kneeled in from of the two of you to atone for what I have done. This abandonment has been the greatest stain on my consciousness and honor, bar none. So, I will do here what I could not do in person." Poseidon took a shaky deep breath before locking eyes with the camera lens.

"Perseus, I am sorry for everything that I failed to do. I have failed at being your father, and this is a failure that I will carry for the rest of my lifetime."

Percy nearly paused the video again then and there, but he didn't, instead touching the small digital image of Poseidon. For the late god's part, he was also still and silent even though the video was still running. Both father and son took a few moments of solemn solitude, each working their way through the myriad of emotions that had cropped up with Poseidon's words.

Finally, Poseidon took another deep sigh and continued. "But even though I have failed you in the past and maybe even the present, I want to do the best for the future. That is the least I can do as a father who has miserably failed for so many years. That is why, included in this video camera, I have included a few extra clips. Some are to help you harness your powers, advice collected over thousands of years of my children figuring out what they can do as well as intuition into the nature of what your natural gifts are from myself. Others are just me talking, trying my best to impart what little wisdom I can give. This collection may very well be my last gift to you, but if that is to be the case, then I would hope that it is a gift that will help you in the future."

At this point, Poseidon leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling for a few moments. "You know, at some point, I would like to meet up with you and your mother. Just for old times' sake, the three of us alone. Your mother is truly a remarkable woman, so much so that she is unlike any, mortal or immortal, that I have known over these many thousands of years. She deserves someone better than me, but even so, I would like to reclaim just a little bit of that wonder and happiness that I have no right to."

Poseidon looked down back into the camera, and for a few silent seconds, sea green met sea green. "Percy, as I bring this particular entry to an end, I want to reiterate one thing. I want _you_ to hear this one thing." A pause. "Throughout the length of my life, the wonders that I have seen, the creations, great and small, that I have built… seeing you as a baby in that cradle, your mother lovingly sitting beside you to tend to you… _that_ was my proudest moment. That was my happiest moment. Nothing has come close." Poseidon chuckled a little, though it was rather mirthless for a laugh. "It is strange how that, in such a long life, what I treasure the most came so recently. As if my entire life was building up into that moment."

"I love you. You are my son and I don't want you to ever forget that." He paused. "Be the hero for others that I couldn't be for you."

The video screen flickered to black, and Percy slowly closed it. He felt numb from what he had just seen, and as he put the camcorder back on the messy desk, the dam broke completely. He felt tear droplets come out, fading into the water as quickly as they came. He sobbed quietly in the seat, alone in the large room.

Over time, however, his sobbing stopped as he felt a resolute spirit forming in his soul. He felt angry that his father had been taken from him, that they never had time to come together as a family and to reconcile. It was unfair. It was unjust. But nonetheless, it had still happened.

His determination turned its direction toward the ones that had caused it all. Kronos and the Titans. But even that was not entirely correct. Kronos had already been vanquished. No, the real enemy was Chaos. Percy's sea green eyes burned with a fire – not entirely rage, but rather partly with purpose and adamant resolve. Yes, Chaos was the true mastermind of all that had happened, all the pain that had been brought to those he loved and cared about.

This was beyond fighting just because he was a hero. He needed to fight to end the suffering that had been brought to so many. He needed to fight to protect those who didn't have the strength to protect himself. Ultimately, he was someone with the power to make a difference, and he needed to – no, he wanted to use that power for good. Maybe that's what it meant to be a hero.

Percy knew what he had to do: heed his own words. Like a phoenix, he was going to rise from the ashes of all the pain and suffering that had been inflicted. Renewed with the fire of a righteous justice, he resolved to take the fight to the enemy – to Chaos itself.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm still here. I apologize for the rather long wait – life, school, and a myriad of other things all coincided at the same time, so I've been really, really busy. Still, I'd like to reiterate that I am committed to finishing this story, and the way it looks right now, I am still aiming to finish this story this year. Future updates may not be on Monday mornings, so following would probably be the best way to see whenever I update. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next!


	28. Finale Part II: One More Time, Together

_San Francisco_

Percy went door-to-door in the motel, doing one last check before he turned in for the night himself. Everyone he met had much the same emotions – apprehension and fear for what was coming, but also a resolve and commitment to see it through to the end. There was a shared comradery among the 'campers', if they could be called that anymore – the Camp was long gone – and they were all willing to stand together at the brink to finish the fight.

He quietly opened the door to his own motel room, letting it close behind him as he strode over to the room's small desk. The lamp was still lit, just as Percy left it, and he slumped into the seat, angled slightly away from the desk from when he had initially left it. With a sigh, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and glanced at the messy desk. Papers were strewn all about its surface, ranging from local maps with markings and arrows to documents that detailed the logistics of sustaining nearly two hundred demigods across the entire width of the United States. Not every demigod had agreed to begin the equivalent of a war campaign that could cost them their life and Percy was not going to force anyone to join, but virtually everyone in the camp knew someone that had fallen in the ashes of Camp Half-Blood, and many had seen close friends perish in the unrelenting fire. The resulting "army" of demigods who wanted to fight was more than enough.

It had been a long and hard journey to get to where they were now. After his call to arms in June, the gods had met with Percy, Thalia, and Chiron. The agreement they had reached called for Percy to be given command of the camp and its resources for the duration of the summer – an end that the gods had defined as August 15th. They had until the start of the new school year to fight the looming threat in front of them.

They had wasted no time. Chiron's own sources quickly pinpointed the base of the Titans – Mount Tamalpais, where Kronos and Atlas had tried to raise Mount Othrys just a year earlier. It made sense considering that it was about as far as they could get from Camp Half-Blood and Olympus in the continental United States, and thus much harder for the aforementioned groups to combat the growing threat.

In the last two months, they had methodically swept across America. Splitting into three smaller groups, each stopped at major cities to clear out any major monster infestations before moving westward. By doing so, they had purged every agent of Chaos and the Titans that they could find. There was no mercy shown to the enemies they found – what was left of the campers' mercy lay in the rubble of Camp Half-Blood. They were on a warpath, and there was nothing that could stop their march.

The quiet squeak of Percy's motel room door opening caused him to turn his head and stiffen. He unconsciously loosened when he realized that the person standing in the doorway was none other than Thalia. She gave him a small smile as she closed the door behind her. Still clad in her day clothes – t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops – even given the late hour, she walked over to Percy, glancing down at the scattered papers on his desk. It was nothing that she did not already know, considering how integral a part she was in their planning. Annabeth had done much of the heavy lifting, figuring out supplies and transportations, but Thalia had provided an element of essential inspiration during the process, something not entirely quantifiable.

"Hey there," Percy whispered, acquiescing to her soft hands on his shoulders.

"Mhm," Thalia warmly intoned, resting her chin in his dark hair. "Everyone good?"

"Last group just came in from Phoenix."

"Anyone hurt?"

Percy shook his head. "Not really. Lee sprained an ankle but that's about it. They wiped out a nest of stymphalian birds and handed off two demigods to Chiron." The campers gave no quarter to monsters, but generally tried their best to avoid killing other demigods or humans. It was a largely unspoken moral agreement – one that they all knew could very well be broken when push came to shove.

"And Chiron's group?"

"He says they'll scale the mountain first to scout it out and meet us in front of the palace itself tomorrow."

Thalia loosened her arms from around Percy's chest and fell backwards onto covers of the bed, daintily crossing and slightly swinging her legs as she sat on its edge. Percy quietly spun around in his chair to face her, prompting a sharp smile and laugh from the girl.

"So, what's up?" Percy prompted, leaning back in his seat as he crossed his arms. "Something happen?"

Thalia playfully posed for a few moments, scrunching up her forehead as if in deep thought, before reaching out, taking hold of his knees, and pulling Percy's chair forward. She quickly leaned forward, her lips just fractions of an inch from his right ear.

"Not really," she whispered. Percy turned to face her, a bit surprised by her behavior. Her warm breath wafted over his skin, and as he breathed, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Thalia," Percy hesitantly began, standing up and gently pushing her back to sit on the bed as he held her by her shoulders, "have you… been _drinking_?"

She looked upward, her electric blue eyes seemingly twinkling from the small room's sole ceiling light.

"Maybe a little," she innocently replied, before giving a small hiccup.

Percy was not quite sure whether he should verbally disapprove of her choice or not – she was, after all, her own person, and under the weight of the stress that she and he both shared, it was understandable why she would choose to try it out. They could not know whether she would have another chance to.

As he stewed in his own thoughts, Thalia suddenly stood up. "I know what," Thalia defiantly said, an air of bravado developing around her. "Let me go grab some for you too!" Before Percy could get in a word edgewise, she had already flung his motel room door open and was around the corner, flip-flops clapping as she ran down the motel's second-floor outdoor walkway. He only had time to slink back in his seat and sigh once before she bounded back into his room, one hand clutching a tall bottle by its neck as she closed the room's door with the other. Striding across the room, Thalia plucked the two glasses sat upside down by the bathroom sink and slammed them down onto his desk. She picked up the tall bottle, pulled off the cork with a great pop, and poured its contents into both glasses, ignoring Percy's weak protests as she sloppily spilled some of the alcoholic beverage onto the many papers that were scattered about his desk.

Percy abruptly found a half-full glass of clear liquid in his right hand as Thalia sat back in her spot on the edge of the bed, a similar glass clutched in her own hand. She gently swirled the glass in her hand, the liquid moving in a spiral pattern as she did so.

"Wait, Thalia," Percy finally spoke up, gathering his bearings. He turned to look at the nondescript bottle. "Wait, _Vodka_? This stuff is forty-percent alcohol!"

"Uh-huh," Thalia nodded, looking at him with expectant eyes as if she were waiting for his point.

"We shouldn't be drinking this." Percy paused, before speaking again with a slightly quieter voice. "I mean, we're not even legal yet."

Thalia laughed, a light tinkling sound that made Percy's metaphorical heart swell with desire and his mouth unconsciously curl upward into a smile.

"Legal? That's funny, Percy. Honestly."

In a more strained voice, Percy looked back at the bottle. "Where did you even get this?"

She waved it off with a hand. "Oh, I know a guy… who knows a guy. I'm sure you can imagine how that works."

Percy grunted, before looking down at the glass of vodka. In actuality, he was far less opposed to downing the glass than his words would have him appear. There was something… _tempting_ about finding absolution at the bottom of a glass of burning fire. There were a great many things Percy regretted – both things that he had done, and equally many things that he had not, but should have.

"Bottoms up?" Thalia asked, her voice reawakening him to the world. Percy stared at the sight of his glass of vodka into view, and, with naught but a moment's hesitation, held it up.

"Bottoms up," he concurred, and with a swig, he downed as much of the clear liquid as he could. For both of them, that was not very much, and just about as soon as they had started drinking, they had finished, both spluttering and coughing as they felt liquid fire burn on its way down their throats.

"Oh gods, that's awful," Percy hoarsely muttered as he leaned back into his seat. He could dimly see Thalia nodding in agreement, but even as she did so, she took another drink of her glass. For his part, Percy also took another long draught of his drink, this time ready for the sting. The vodka poured down his throat, searing on its way down, but he kept drinking and drinking–

Percy blinked. The light was off. Somehow, he found himself on the bed, his empty glass still in his hand. He slowly turned to see Thalia similarly sprawled out on the bed beside him, her glass long forgotten on the carpeted floor of the motel room. Between them, the empty tall bottle was a damning testament to the impropriety that had just taken place. After all, finishing a whole bottle of hard alcohol, demigod metabolisms or not, was something that could only happen at the brink, and neither of them could be said to be functional in any traditional sense of the word.

"Th-Thalia," Percy softly stuttered, turning over slightly to prod the girl.

"Whaat?" Thalia slurred, her eyes struggling to focus on him.

"You still okay?"

She groaned in response, her left hand coming up to massage her forehead while her right arm fluttered to rest on his stomach. "Maybe in the morning." The blanket rustled slightly as Thalia rolled over to face Percy.

"Hey," she quickly whispered. In the faint glow of moonlight that had snuck through the gap in the window curtains, Percy could see her eyes focusing on him. "Do you… want to, um, sleep together tonight?"

As if Kronos himself had burst through the door and summoned every last ounce of his Titan power, time felt like it had stopped. Percy's heart grew heavy with a mixture of confusion, fear, and anticipation. He liked her – loved her, even, in a deeper sense than any other teenager could possibly mean when they said those words to a peer – but it still all seemed too quick. They had gone through so much, both independently and with one another, but even with all of that, their relative youth and physical immaturity was undeniable.

"Err, uh, Thalia?" Percy hesitantly began. "Do-don't you think that's too fast? I mean, I love you and I think you're really beautiful and all but–"

He was cut off by a single finger placed on his lips. Thalia looked at him with amusement, before bursting into laughter.

"No, you kelp head!" Thalia cried out in humor. "I meant 'sleep together' as in _sleep together_ , like _actual_ sleeping. Not sex."

"Oh," Percy whispered, letting out a deep breath he did not know he had been holding. "Okay, yeah, that's fine." Most of him was relieved – he had no idea what to do in _that_ situation, but a not insignificant part of him was also disappointed at what may have been. Still, the majority of him won, and he fell back into the mattress of the bed with the intent of finding that one comfortable spot where he could just fall into a restful sleep.

In the darkness, he felt the blankets scrunch up as Thalia pushed herself closer to him under the sheets. The warmth of her body was a pleasant feeling to him, and he welcomed it as she snuggled against his prone form.

"You know," she whispered in the dark, "I wouldn't be opposed to _it_."

The sound of a body shifting on sheets. "What do you mean?"

"You know," Thalia repeated. "What you thought."

"Huh."

"If we win tomorrow." A pause. "That feels like… a good way to celebrate."

" _When_ we win tomorrow."

Percy caught the smile on Thalia's face in the pale moonlight.

"Yeah, when we win."

The two of them fell silent after that. Within a minute, Percy could feel the gentle, rhythmic rise and fall of Thalia's chest against his body and could hear the soft and steady breaths she took as she swiftly fell asleep. He closed his own eyes, letting his weariness and the comfort of his surroundings – with the warm room, the relative quietness only punctuated by the comforting sounds of Thalia's own sleep, and the thought of what her warmth meant brought – quickly pull him into his long-desired slumber.

* * *

The sun had already risen as the Greek demigods marched up one of the paths of Mount Tamalpais, but the morning air was still brisk and cool, courtesy of the moderate climate of the Bay Area in late summer. Clad in armor and armed to the teeth, the demigods had emptied out of a variety of vans just a half-hour earlier, beginning their climb just as the sun crept past the tip of the peak they faced.

Percy and Thalia were, naturally, at the head of the column. They had changed out their modern teenaged choices for more appropriate clothing – t-shirts covered by celestial bronze chest plating, a short armored skirt to protect the upper thighs, shoulder guards, and forearm and shin protectors. Their preference for updated versions of ancient Greek armor did not, however, mean that they were against modern advances – on the contrary, instead of older Greek-style sandals, every demigod present had opted for a pair of Nike running shoes. For one, they were considerably more comfortable and robust than sandals could ever be. They had chosen Nike specifically also because of the connotation associated with the name – the Greek goddess of victory was a desirable patron to have before war, even if the enemies they now faced were beyond the control and powers of the Olympians.

The higher they climbed, the more noticeable the effects of Chaos and his subservient Titans became. The weather, with its oddities largely contained by the power of the Mist, had worsened, with the air becoming thicker and darker and the temperature dropping rapidly as they climbed. A sense of foreboding only grew among the demigods as they scaled the peak, with the eerie feeling of death and decay strengthening in the ground and in the very air they breathed.

They were approaching a center of power, chaotic and entropic in nature, beyond their limits of their comprehension.

"Where's Chiron?" Thalia whispered, looking around hesitantly. Her left hand rested on the hilt of her sword, its immense power humming quietly at her touch in its leather scabbard.

"I don't think we're there yet." Percy responded.

They both fell silent for a few moments before a voice rang out from behind them.

"I think I hear something!"

The entire group of demigods halted in an instant, the sound of shoes on the dusty gravel coming to an abrupt stop along with the clinking of pieces of metal armor. Each demigod strained their ears to hear.

It was faint, in the distance. To the undiscerning listener, it could have been mistaken for the strange patterns of a blowing wind. But after a few seconds, it was evident that it was no wind. The sound of cries, of yells, of screams and roars echoed over the side of Mount Tamalpais to reach them.

"Let's go!" Percy yelled, rousing all of the demigods behind him. "Come on!" The demigods behind him gave a great roar, and they all took off at speed, running up the path where they had previously been slowly marching.

In a matter of minutes, the path they were on led to a plateau of sorts on the side of the mountain. Percy paused for the briefest of moments at the sight before him, but it was enough to take it the entire picture.

There were hundreds, maybe even over a thousand, of beings fighting. Centaurs, satyrs, all sorts of nymphs ranging from dryads to naiads, pegasi, and more fought alongside each other against an equally assorted set of monsters interspersed by the occasional human demigod clad in armor. There were dozens of bodies from both sides already on the ground, but neither side paid much attention to the fallen, as locked in combat as they were. To Percy's eye, it seemed as though Chiron's force was both smaller and being pushed back. In the distance lay a completed version of the evil-looking Parthenon-style building that Percy had noted on his first visit to Mount Othrys. It was rebuilt, complete with a protective wall and tall metal gates that the two armies now fought outside of.

"Demigods!" Percy yelled, his voice carrying as far he could make it go. It echoed down the side of the mountain and toward the clashing armies, causing the combatants closest to the path to stop and turn. "Prepare yourselves for battle!"

In preparation for the decisive battle that all knew had to happen, the demigods had drilled themselves as best they could in the most effective melee formations they could find. For them, that meant a phalanx. It was not perfect by any measure, nor even remotely well-formed given the time they had to train, but it was better than nothing, and it still presented a formidable wall of weaponry that was hard for an enemy force to break.

The mass of demigods all climbed onto the plateau and assembled into six lines of thirty or so demigods. Many of them were armed with spears and shields – those that were not held their swords at the ready as they waited on either flank of the formation. Percy and Thalia put themselves on the left side of the phalanx, while the right side of the phalanx was protected by a disproportionate number of demigods to account for the strength of their leaders.

"Demigods!" Thalia yelled this time, drawing her sword. Pointing it forward, she yelled, "Advance!"

The pseudo-Greek army lumbered forward, their spears pointed forward as the demigods on the side slowly kept pace and watched for flanking attempts. In the thick of combat in front of them, Chiron extricated himself from the fighting and saw the forward march of the demigods. Smiling with relief at the sight of reinforcements, he grabbed a horn that dangled from his neck by a leather strap and blew as hard as he could into it. It thundered over the multitude, and with swift recognition, Chiron's troops pulled back to either side of the plateau. Forming around the advancing demigod phalanx, it immediately took the form of the letter 'c' – a classic envelopment formation. The monsters and enemy demigods still left standing and able to fight could only retreat backward into the unforgiving stone of Othrys' wall as the encirclement grew.

A single brave, or perhaps exceptionally dim dracaena rushed forward, her sword ready, only to impale herself on the celestial bronze end of a demigod's spear. Ignoring the monster dissolving into the wind, the phalanx continued its advance. Soon, more monsters, driven by desperation, rushed forward, with some impaling themselves on the row of spears and others managing to batter away the first row only to feel the sting of the second. It was a brutal affair, advancing, but one that was absolutely necessary. After minor fighting on the sides of the encirclement by some that had tried to break out on the sides, they had soon encircled the few enemy humans that remained.

"Surrender," Percy offered as the phalanx's advance ground to a halt, "or else."

The lead enemy demigod who stepped forward, a boy who looked about as old as Percy, raised his sword. He glared at Percy through his one good eye.

"Surrender and what, be condemned by the gods to a lifetime of suffering? The reason we chose to follow the Titans was because the Olympians had abandoned us! They had this coming!"

Percy frowned. "You don't serve the Titans. Kronos is dead."

The demigod frowned and dropped his arm to his side. "What? What do you mean by that?"

"Kronos was defeated months ago. The Titans are being controlled by another."

The demigod raised his sword again and snarled. "You lie! Why else would the Titans still take orders from someone else?"

Percy stuck his trident into the dirt of the plateau and strode forward, unarmed. His mere presence caused a prickling feeling on the back of the enemy demigods' necks, and they all backed up as he strode forward. Soon, they had backed up as far as they were willing to against the encirclement, and Percy stopped just a few steps before them.

"You all have no idea what's going on," Percy solemnly stated, shaking his head a little. "There's so much at stake here."

"Just tell us!" the eye-patched demigod yelled.

Percy eyed him carefully. "The Titans are being controlled by Chaos. It has taken over their minds and bent them to its will. They cannot resist – Chaos is a far more powerful being than any they have ever faced."

The mention of Chaos was enough to stir fear in the hearts of those who heard Percy's words. The enemy demigods all unconsciously flinched at the truth they knew in their hearts to be real.

"That doesn't change anything!" the demigod spat. "Our beef is with the Olympians, and if Chaos is what's needed to get us our revenge, then so be it!"

"Chaos would destroy this world!" Percy immediately roared in rebuttal. The intensity of his reply shocked everyone around him. "Yes, you could get your revenge, but it would be at the cost of your own life and everything else! Do you consider that a good trade?"

The demigod fell silent and looked downward, unable to answer the truth he knew.

"I'll say it again – I offer you this chance to surrender and get off of this mountain, or else."

"That's it, then?" the demigod looked up again, his tone despondent. "Are we doomed to face a life of failure and regret for having been born to the wrong Olympian?"

Percy sighed, strode forward, and placed one hand on the demigod's right shoulder. Even though the two of them were ostensibly around the same age, Percy had gone through an extraordinary series of events that had grown him both mentally and physically. As such, he stood nearly half a head over the scrawnier and smaller demigod.

"Being a demigod doesn't have to define who you are. You're also a human being. You're a person. You have worth and value that goes past who your parents are and what you can do. Don't let yourself be held down by whatever you think the Olympians robbed you of. In all honesty, they've failed all of us, but we can all also move past that and live our lives the way we want to."

The demigod looked up, tears forming in his one good eye.

"So, will you please surrender?"

The lead demigod slowly nodded, as did the few that stood behind him. Throwing down their swords and shields, the encirclement broke ranks to open a hole for the surrendering demigods to leave through. Percy watched them disappear down the path they had used to climb Mount Tamalpais for a few seconds before turning to find Chiron.

"Percy," the centaur mentor warmly said, galloping forward to meet him in the middle of the circle.

"Chiron," Percy responded in kind. "So, what's it like?"

Chiron frowned. "Bad. We came up here early this morning for a reconnaissance-in-force, only to get caught out by some of their own scouts. It forced a battle that we were losing until you and Thalia showed up with the rest of the Camp. However," the centaur paused as he turned to face Othrys, "that was only a small part of the problem. The bigger problem is that." He pointed at the wall that separated them from the palace of Othrys. "We can't get through that. We just don't have enough firepower."

Percy grimaced. Nothing he and the other demigods had brought could break through it either. Additionally, it was also too high to simply scale. None of them had anticipated Othrys being so unlike Olympus in design, with a wall they needed to get through on top of defeating whatever forces the Titans had at their disposal.

"Worse yet," Chiron continued, "is what is going on _inside_ of the walls." Percy looked up at the wise centaur attentively. "I believe that Chaos is gathering, for lack of a better term, chaos inside of Mount Othrys. For what reason, I can only imagine – maybe to use as a weapon of some sort. Nonetheless, we must stop this before it is too late."

Percy pondered Chiron's words. His explanation made sense, but their only problem was a seeming lack of ability to carry out the solution.

A loud horn blew from within the walls of Mount Othrys, shaking Percy out of his reverie.

"Quickly!" Chiron yelled. "Reform the lines! Reform the lines!" Demigod and nature spirit alike hastily assembled themselves into their crude phalanx just as the tall gates of the wall opened. From within the walls, a veritable army marched out – far larger than the one they had just defeated. Thousands of monsters streamed out of the gates, ranging all different types that had historically composed the Titan army.

"Keep steady!" Chiron bellowed, but it was of little use as the monsters ran into the poorly constructed phalanx. Under the weight of the full-frontal assault, the assembled lines crumbled and disintegrated as demigods broke in fear and the other elements of Chiron's forces were scattered.

Percy and Thalia saw their allies begin to break, and without hesitation, Thalia jumped into the fray, landing in the middle of a group of telekhines. With a roar, she spun her sword around, spitting lightning and death in a circle and evaporating dozens of monsters before they even had the chance to notice there was an enemy. Percy, not one to be outdone, pushed forward, smashing a pit scorpion in an explosion of guts and juice with the back of his trident before impaling a hellhound with the front. Turning to see the a herd of colchis bulls imminently about to smash into what was left of the phalanx, Percy strained for a moment to summon all of the water he could out of the ground, forming a small tidal wave that smash into the herd, rolling past the disintegrated monsters and into the main body of the Titan army that had streamed out. Cries of pain filled the air as the water blew through dozens of monsters.

"Push forward!" Chiron ordered over the noise. Those left in the phalanx that could hear him obeyed, slowly advancing with their spears at the ready. Unlike the previous advance that had broken the enemy, the Titan army this time was prepared, and it became a true battle as the phalanx faced off against hordes of various monsters, not all of which were easily beatable by something as human and mortal as a phalanx.

Percy yanked his trident out of the mouth of the Nemean Lion – which he annoyingly noticed had reformed after only a single year – and looked up in minor exhaustion. He and Thalia could destroy waves of monsters with relative ease at a time, but it seemed like the enemy had endless waves to send. The other demigods along with Chiron's forces had harder time, barely able to hang on as the enemy's waves battered against them.

It did not seem like a situation they could win. Slowly, but very surely, they were being pushed backward to the cliffside of the plateau.

Annabeth suddenly appeared on one side of Percy, while Grover showed up on the other.

"Hey there, Percy," Grover panted, trying to act nonchalantly as he stared possible, imminent death in the face. "It's been a while."

"Sure has, G-man," Percy replied, readying his trident.

"Got a plan, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked, readying her already-stained dagger.

"Aren't you the one who normally comes up with those?"

"Guys!" Thalia cried out in front of them. "Enough chit-chat, and more fighting!" The daughter of Zeus half-turned to summon a bolt of lightning, blowing the Minotaur – another powerful monster with an unusually short reforming period courtesy of the Titans and Tartarus – into smithereens, along with a side of telekhines. Sweat dripped from her damp locks to the ground, and even though she was still beating every monster she faced, it was apparent that physically, she was tiring.

For a moment, as they surged forward, Percy felt his spirit waver. Already, they were facing such difficulty against the hordes of Chaos' army. How could they ever face any of the Titans, much less Chaos itself? The idea now seemed ludicrous, and the despair that began to set in was like an anchor in the ocean, pulling Percy into the depths…

A sound blew through the air. Turning rapidly, as did everyone and everything else beside him, Percy looked to see the source of the sound. Up a different path to the plateau, the sound of marching and clinking metal grew. An unfamiliar standard, carried on a wooden pole, could be seen over the incline of the path. Within seconds, the tops of what appeared to be helmets became visible. Soon after, the rest of helmets became visible, as did the heads they were worn on and the bodies those were attached to.

Percy felt his jaw drop.

He was staring at a full-blown _Roman legion_.

It was like an old movie about the Roman Empire, except he could actually see them with his own two eyes in the flesh. Complete with the armor and colors, they marched in a way that the Greek demigods could not hope to match – evenly, with a set rhythm and pace, and with a practiced smoothness that could not come except from years of practice.

The Roman horn blew again and the entire legion came to a stop. There was a moment of stillness, and then the legionnaires suddenly moved. In a matter of seconds, they had formed into four distinct groups. Three of them were prominent with three lines each – one on the left, one on the right, and one in between the other two in the center. The fourth mass of troops stayed behind the first three.

"Advance!" a male cry came from the Romans, and the legion began to move in earnest. They were much faster and far more coordinated than the Greek phalanx had been just minutes before, and it was, to Percy, an admittedly intimidating sight to see a Roman legion in modern day marching, ready to kill.

"Scatter!" Chiron yelled as he galloped through the plateau. "Scatter!" The demigods, nymphs, satyrs, centaurs, and others of the combined Greek forces quickly got the memo and made for the sides of the plateau, but the Titan army dumbly stood there, unsure of what exactly they were supposed to do.

"Wait," a dracaena hissed, "we outnumber them. We should attack!" A murmur of agreement came from the Titan army, and soon enough, the entire army was riled up and charging at the Roman formation.

It was an absolute massacre.

The Roman formation was nothing like the hastily constructed Greek phalanx. If the Greek phalanx had been a blender, the Roman legion was like a woodchipper. It was a machine of destruction, purpose-trained for that reason. The two side formations rotated to act as funnel, pushing monsters toward the middle to be slaughtered. Still, the Titan army had vast numbers on its side.

"Help the Romans!" Percy yelled, before jumping back into the battle himself. With a twirl of his trident, he blew apart a multitude of different monster varieties. All around him, the Greek forces had rejoined the fray, helping the Roman formation funnel monsters into the central meat shredder.

And it still was not enough.

Even with the addition of several hundred Romans, they were still being pushed back by the sheer weight of thousands of monsters. It was impossible odds. For every monster they cut down, ten more would seemingly replace it. Every demigod or nature spirit that fell was another substantial reminder of the heavy price they were paying and the numerical inferiority they fought against.

Percy panted for a few moments as he caught his breath. His trident felt so heavy in his arms…

"Watch out!" a Roman cried, before moving between Percy and an empousa. The empousa raised a metal bat and swatted the Roman aside, and as if in slow motion, Percy saw the Roman twirl in mid-air before falling and settling to the ground. It was a crude display of inhumanity, colored by the flecks of red that spurted throughout the air.

"No!" Percy roared, something snapping inside of him. With a jab of his trident, he blew the empousa into pieces, sending its guts and innards flying across the battlefield. With another grunt, he slammed the trident into the ground as he felt something well up inside of him. Taking hold of the feeling, he called the water to him in a way he had never tried before.

Before, he had simply called the water to him. Now, he _called_ the water to him.

The clinking of metal and yells and screams of battle slowed before stopping entirely as man and monster alike stared in a daze. Gasps and shocked shrieks replaced the ambient sounds. A shadow covered the entire plateau.

Percy opened his eyes, revealing glowing green irises as the massive wall of water taken from the Pacific covered the entirety of the plateau and a good portion of the side of Mount Tamalpais. He had no idea what the Mist would construe it as, but he didn't care either.

Willing the water to fall, he split it into hundreds of smaller streams, plucking his allies out of the battle and leaving them on the side. After a few seconds, all that was left was the Titan army that was now suddenly bereft of enemies to fight. That is, except for the shadow above them.

The water crashed into the Titan army much like a human would crush an ant by stepping on it – it was nothing the monsters could fight, nothing they could stop, and certainly nothing they could survive. The water washed up to the wall itself, where it slammed against the stone to no avail.

Percy gasped and fell to the ground, leaving his trident implanted in the ground. His body failed to respond to him, and he felt like a limp puppet with its strings cut.

"Percy!" Thalia yelled, kneeling by his side. To him, he could clearly make out her face, but everything else was blurry. Annabeth, Grover, Chiron – they all melded together.

"Ambrosia! Someone get some ambrosia and nectar!" Thalia cried out.

Percy could barely focus on her as she whispered in his ear. "Here, eat this." He felt a crushed-up chocolate chip cookie slip through his teeth, and hesitantly, he let it slide down his throat. Next came a chocolatey drink, which easily passed through his mouth. A few seconds passed, and Percy blinked. His vision had refocused, and he felt warmth flowing back into his extremities. After a few more seconds, he felt the wholesale return of strength into his muscles, and he quickly pushed himself back up against the protests of those around him. He felt a little unsteady from his expenditure of power, but it was nothing that he hadn't felt before.

Thalia simply smiled at his speedy recovery. She was used to his headstrong behavior at this point and knew that there was no point to force him to rest. He would not, not until his task was complete.

Percy strode over to the Romans, who had reformed themselves into a line, though not nearly as ready for battle as they had been earlier, nor were they nearly as at attention and ready to fight either.

"Who's the commander here," Percy asked, looking around. A tall, muscular demigod stepped out from behind the line.

"I am," the demigod announced. "I'm one of the praetors of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. What do you want?"

"We need to regroup everyone we have for another attack," Percy stated. "It's our only chance."

"No way," the demigod replied, gesturing at his troops. "I've lost too many good legionnaires already, and you want me to send more lives to be lost in an attack?"

Percy pursed his lips in frustration. "Look, if we don't attack now, then we might not get the chance to again. In there," he pointed at Othrys, "they're preparing to end the world as we know it!" He stepped backward for a moment after shouting to cool himself down. "We need to attack one more time, one last time, or we might never get the chance to stop them again."

The demigod eyed Percy. "I don't think you're in any shape to fight right now. At the very least, we have to rest and recuperate for a little while before coming back out here."

Percy squeezed his eyes shut for a second, ignoring the dull throb of pain in his head. "I'll be fine." Just as he said that, he stumbled, and would've fallen to the ground had Thalia not been there to catch him.

The demigod did a double-take when he saw Thalia, stepping backward a few paces.

"No, it can't be…" he whispered.

The Greek demigods looked at the Roman demigod strangely.

"Thalia," he breathed.

"What?" Thalia replied. "How do you know my name?"

The Roman demigod hurriedly pulled off his legionnaire helmet to reveal short blond hair and a pair of electric blue eyes. Percy heard Thalia's breath hitch for a moment and felt her body stiffen in shock.

"Thalia, Thalia Grace!" the praetor of the Twelfth Legion, Jason Grace, exclaimed. "Thalia, it's me – it's Jason."

* * *

 **A/N:** Just two more chapters to go.


	29. Finale Part III: Once And For All

**A/N:** As a quick note, I've not read Heroes of Olympus in a long time (and only read the first two anyway), so how the Romans are characterized is of dubious accuracy to canon. Also, after this chapter, there is only one last epilogue chapter, which will probably come out around a week after this one.

A fun fact: this chapter narrowly beat Chapter 26 for the title of longest chapter in this story by a margin of 53 words.

* * *

The trek down Mount Tamalpais was an incoherent journey for Percy. Contrary to his earlier bravado, he could feel the pain in his body steadily increasing along with the pounding in his head. All he knew was that he was being carried by Chiron one of the peak's many paths, and in the brief moments of consciousness he had, he could see only glimpses of his fellow Greek demigods walking in line with decidedly not Greek warriors and Chiron's back. On an off-handed note, he found that the experience of riding on Chiron like a horse was actually pretty comforting, though how much of that was due to his sheer exhaustion was up for debate. With the rhythmic marching and the general quiet that had pervaded the group after the battle, one could almost say it was ripe conditions for a short nap, to just close his eyes for a brief moment…

Percy suddenly awoke, eyes wide and gasping.

One hand immediately flew up to his forehead. The pounding was not anywhere near as bad as it had been, but it was still present. With a soft groan, Percy sat up in the small cot he lay in. Looking around, he was in unfamiliar surroundings. It was the inside of a tan colored tent, far longer than it was wide. Rows of cots similar to the one he inhabited were lined up, and the few that were occupied had sleeping figures in them. Crucially, he eyed his trident being propped up on the end of his cot's frame.

A figure poked their head through one of the tent flaps that were interspersed between every couple of cots, and upon seeing Percy sitting upright, walked in.

"How are you feeling?" the woman curtly asked.

"Fine," Percy replied, his voice sounding hoarse. His throat felt parched and dry.

"Here," the woman said, handing him a small brownie square and a cup before backing up a few steps. "Eat up."

Looking at Percy's confused expression, the woman sighed. "Ambrosia and nectar. It'll make you feel a lot better."

Taking her word, Percy swallowed the brownie with a single bite and gulped down the liquid in the cup. Immediately, he felt warmth and strength flow throughout his body. The dull throb in his head was reduced to a point where he no longer was bothered by it. Taking full advantage of his renewed condition, Percy swung his legs over one side of the bed and stood up.

"Hey, you shouldn't be getting up," the woman suddenly said, walking forward. She futilely tried to get him to lay back on the bed, but relative to her, he was built like a wall.

"I'm fine," Percy murmured, brushing off the woman's attempts to get him back on the cot. "Where am I?"

The woman pursed her lips as she hesitated for a few moments. "You're safe in the camp."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "What camp? I don't recognize you."

She put up her hands as if to say that she was not a threat. "Relax kid, we're all demigods around here. Only difference is that your parent was Greek and mine was Roman."

Percy's brow furrowed as he suddenly remembered his last few conscious memories. Romans appearing. The fighting. The water. The exhaustion.

"Where are the others?" he gruffly asked, stretching out to take hold of his trident in his left hand.

The woman sighed, realizing that she was never going to get Percy back into bed. "Command is down the main road and to the left. You'll know it when you see it."

Nodding in thanks, Percy looked around to see if he had anything else he needed to grab. As he looked, he finally met the woman eye-to-eye and paused.

The woman in question was no doubt a nurse – her scrubs were enough to give that away, being no different than those worn by a nurse at a normal hospital – but that was not what had Percy surprised. What had him surprised was her age, at least relative to his own. It was an epiphany that suddenly occurred to him; apart from the Perseus of the past, he had never actually seen an adult demigod before. This nurse was the first he had seen in his own time.

"Is there something on my face?" the nurse sarcastically asked. Percy quickly shook his head, stowed away the thought, and slipped out of the tent, taking a deep breath of fresh air as he felt the wind on his face. He took in the rows of tents that engulfed his sight, stretching up and down the well-trodden dirt path and numbering in the dozens. Walking down the path, Percy suddenly felt oddly self-conscious about himself. With his trident, he made for a rather conspicuous figure, and there was no shortage of people that stopped what they were doing to stare at the unfamiliar demigod holding an ornately-designed out-of-date weapon.

Doing his best to ignore the stares and move on, Percy looked around for the command tent the nurse had mentioned. As he passed a fairly large canopy that had people sharpening swords and other weapons, his sight fell on a discrete looking tent, one that would be no different from the others around it were it not for the word "COMMAND" written in bold lettering on a piece of poster paper.

Percy's eyebrows rose a notch as he nodded slightly. "Alright, yeah," he whispered to himself, "I guess that's about as easy to find as it can be."

Without further ado, Percy brushed open the entrance flap of the tent and walked in, drawing the attention of everyone who was already inside. In that first second, Percy quickly saw Thalia standing beside a guy he did not know, Annabeth standing near the side with a notebook in her hand, and Chiron barely fitting at the back of the tent in the equivalency of a sitting position.

"Percy, you're awake!" Thalia exclaimed, quickly nudging her way through a few people to pull Percy into a hug.

"Yeah, yeah I'm awake," Percy responded, wrapping his own arms behind her back. "At least I think I am." He felt Thalia loosen her hug and he reciprocated, letting her pull away after a few seconds. "How long have I been out?"

Thalia checked the digital watch on her left wrist. "A couple of hours. It's one in the afternoon now, so it hasn't been all that long. I'm surprised you're already up – are you sure you should be up?"

"The nurse gave me some nectar and ambrosia, gave me the needed kick. I'll be fine."

Any further conversation between the two was cut off by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them. Percy leaned slightly to look past Thalia's head to see the person she had been standing beside earlier looking back at him.

"I don't believe we've met properly," the guy said, making his way over to Thalia and Percy. He extended a hand, which Percy took in a firm grip. Up close, Percy could see that he was quite tall, possibly even taller than himself. "I'm Jason Grace. Thalia's brother."

"Oh." Suddenly the grip on Percy's hand seemed viselike.

"I understand that you're… dating my sister," Jason said to Percy with an amicable-looking smile that somehow seemed hollow. He leaned in a little so that only Percy could hear him whisper. "I trust that I won't need to say what will happen if you break her heart."

The grip on Percy's hand suddenly loosened as Jason found himself falling to the side with a small yelp. Both male demigods turned to see Thalia, a fire in her eyes as she retracted her hands from the shove.

"Seriously, I'm right here. What are you even doing, Jason? I'm the older one."

Jason sheepishly grinned, this time in good humor, as he ruffled the blond hair on the back of his head. "Ah, just testing the waters. Gotta see what my future brother-in-law's gonna be like, right?"

"Jason!" Thalia admonished him, though not without a hint of uncharacteristic sheepishness, as she playfully hit his shoulder. Percy smiled at the strangely domestic sight, a rarity in their lives.

A second throat clearing snapped all of three of them back to reality, and all three demigods turned to see Chiron trying his best to stand up and walk forward without breaking the entire tent.

"As nice as that was, I'm afraid that we don't have much time," Chiron gravely began, his dark tone mirroring his solemn expression. "Chaos continues to gather his powers in his fortress, and he still has considerable forces standing strong and ready to fight. We must attack now."

"I think you are overstating the gravity of the situation, _centaur_ ," a slim young man with blond hair wearing a toga spat out. "I see no need for the legion to deploy for our… Greek brethren."

"Octavian, that's enough." This time, it was a young woman who spoke, one who looked no older than Percy himself and had dark eyes and long black hair. She carried herself with a regal disposition, and while she had a toga like the aforementioned Octavian, she also wore golden armor. Turning to Percy, she extended a hand. "I am Reyna, one of the two praetors of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata and of Camp Jupiter."

Percy accepted the hand. "I'm Percy, Percy Jackson of, uh, Camp Half-Blood. No title, though."

Reyna smiled. "Your reputation proceeds you, Percy. I have heard rumors of a powerful demigod from the east part of the country coming westward."

Percy blinked. "Oh, really? That's neat, I guess."

Reyna turned to direct his attention to the others. "You've already met the other praetor, and Octavian here is the augur of our camp, in addition to being one of the two centurions of the First Cohort."

"Wait, what do you mean 'other praetor'?" Percy asked, a confused look coming onto his face.

"Ah, that'd be me," Jason spoke up, raising his hand as he did so. Percy turned to look at Jason with a faux-incredulous look which Jason laughed off.

"You know, I'm still not over how you two are brother and sister," Percy noted, looking between Thalia and Jason. "That's… honestly pretty crazy."

"You're telling us," Jason noted. "I can't believe I actually found my sister."

"I couldn't believe he was even still alive," Thalia said quietly, barely above a whisper. "I thought he was dead all this time." She paused. "But Chiron's right," she said louder. "We can have a proper reunion after all of this."

"We need your legion's strength," Annabeth finally spoke up, putting down her notebook, "or we don't stand a chance against Mount Othrys. Percy can't pull another stunt like that and still expect to be able to fight. We'd get crushed."

Jason sighed. "Look, we get that you guys feel really anxious about this, we really do, but we have other things to worry about too. You know, there's a whole council behind us, and part of the deal we had to make to even come here was that we would put the legion's safety ahead of everything else."

Reyna nodded. "We cannot willingly endanger the lives of our legionnaires, especially when nothing Chiron has said has been confirmed yet. Our strategy has always been to wait and assess the situation, and barring any more developments, that is what we will do."

Octavian looked smugly at the Greek demigods. "There you have it. From both of the praetors of this legion. Nothing will happen before we make a complete and thorough assessment of the situation, and then and only then will we make a final deci–" The lanky man was cut off by the sudden sound of a horn blowing. It was a unique pitch, quite unlike the one that the Romans used.

Reyna pushed away the tent flap to poke her head outside. Already, armored legionnaires were running toward the sound, spears and swords in hand.

"What's going on?" she yelled out. One legionnaire, still struggling to get his shin guards properly strapped on, stopped mid-jump to look at his praetor.

"I don't know," the young soldier responded. "My centurion just ordered the century to assemble in preparation, but I have no idea what it is." Reyna nodded and the legionnaire sped off down the path with the rest of his century.

"We should go," Percy quickly said, slipping through the tent flap. He was quickly joined by Thalia, Jason, and Reyna, and the four of them sped off alongside Roman legionnaires and Greek campers alike. At the end of the path, a small barricade was set up, with nearly a hundred Roman legionnaires already in formation with spears while campers from Camp Half-Blood took positions on either side of the formation to protect from flanking attempts. They all faced toward the forest that stood just a few dozen yards away, nervously shifting around as they waited for whatever had blown the horn to come.

Reyna and Jason stood behind their soldiers, looking into the dense forest in a vain attempt to see the potential threat. Percy, planting himself between the right flank of the Romans and some of the Half-Blood campers along with Thalia, breathed deeply to steady himself as he tightened his grip on his trident.

A bush ruffled slightly and everyone stiffened, ready for the worst. After a few moments, a lone hooded figure walked out, holding a bow in their hand as they came into the clearing. Before anyone could do anything else, other figures walked out as well, each armed with the same kind of bow and dressed in similar garb.

"Stop!" Reyna commanded the figures. "Identify yourselves or else!"

The lead figure who had had come out first stopped just a few yards from the Greco-Roman line before pulling down their hood to reveal a distinctly feminine and familiar face to Percy.

"Zoë!" Thalia cried out, recognizing the woman faster than Percy.

Reyna and Jason both sharply turned to face Thalia. "You know her?" Jason asked his sister.

Thalia nodded. "She's a good friend of ours." Turning to Zoë, she continued speaking. "Are these the Hunters of Artemis?"

"Indeed," a graceful female voice floated from the forest. By now, the Hunters had already maneuvered themselves into a formation, compacting their numbers, which ranged into the dozens, into neat lines. From behind them, a single figure walked out of the woods. Her appearance was hazy and undefined, and even as she approached, things as simple as what she wore was hard to say.

"Lady Artemis?" Thalia hesitantly asked.

"Maybe," the figure murmured, throwing back her own hood. "Maybe not. I always knew it was a risk for us to come here."

"What do you mean by risk?" Reyna prompted.

"And what do you mean 'us'?" Jason followed up.

"She means," a second voice came from the woods, "that we will all face the same pain because of this." From behind the Hunters, eight more figures walked out of the woods, each of them as hard to see as Artemis had been.

"It's because of your Roman aspects, isn't it," Annabeth blurted out. She focused on her mother, Athena, whose form constantly flickered between a lady wearing a Greek-style dress and an armored general.

"Very astute," Athena/Minerva responded. "As I expect of a… daughter of mine."

The largest of the figures strode forward, ignoring the nearly cowering Roman line in favor of stopping in front of Percy and Thalia.

"Dad," Thalia breathed.

Zeus/Jupiter lowered his head, before he clenched his fists and contorted his face into an expression of pain. He twisted and writhed for a few moments before he settled back down, his form solidifying into a visible person. Looking back up, Percy could immediately see a difference. Some of the naked pride that had been visible on the king of the gods was gone, replaced by a stoicism that his Greek aspect never would have possessed.

"Do we call you Zeus or Jupiter?" Percy quietly asked, looking up at the Olympian. There was a moment of tension between the two of them – many events had transpired since the last time they had faced one another, and their relative statures were far from the same as they were a year earlier.

"Either will be fine," Zeus replied. "I have temporarily forced both of my aspects into one, fusing our personalities and memories into a single being as it should've been from the beginning. I have no doubt that I will regret doing this afterward, but I fear that if I do not do it, I would have nothing to regret later."

"Dad, is there… something you need?"

Zeus shook his head. "No, I have things _you_ will need." Without further ado, the god brandished out two objects from under his cloak. The first of them was a two feet long thin bronze cylinder, and the other was a bronze Greek war helmet.

Percy gulped. He knew both items by sight, and the last time he had laid eyes upon them was not a particularly pleasant memory for him even though he had triumphed then.

"My Master Bolt and Hades' Helm of Darkness," Zeus stated, holding the two powerful weapons in his hands. "I must do this. Thalia, take out your sword."

Thalia blinked once before complying, drawing out the sword that Percy had given her. It was still as ornate and intricately designed as it had been when Percy had received it. The wood on the hilt was unmarked and the inscription on the blade itself undamaged. Zeus looked down at the ancient writing on the blade, and he visibly flinched when he read it.

"I must do this," he repeated, this time with a slight strain in his voice. Without any pause, he slammed the two symbols of power into the extended sword, causing a blast of light that forced everyone to turn away. Percy instinctively clamped one hand on Thalia's shoulder in concern before he was forced to close his eyes, and he could feel the thrum of power that rushed from the sword into her. It seemed to last indefinitely, but suddenly it was over and Percy fell backward, shaken by the experience. Looking up, he saw even Zeus has taken a step back while everyone else was rubbing their eyes and trying to recover their vision.

Thalia alone was left standing, her sword in her hand. Now, however, it was a visibly very different weapon that she wielded. In addition to the wood highlights, the hilt guards of the sword were given horns, and the carvings on the guards themselves almost looked to be like faces. The blade itself still bore the ancient writing, but there was an added aura to the blade that became visible every now and then when it crackled with energy. Like Chronos had done with his staff, Zeus had now fused the two Olympian symbols of power into the sword. For what reason, Percy could not fathom.

"Why?" Percy uttered, looking confused. Zeus looked at Percy with the same lost expression.

"I truly do not know, only that it was needed for me to do that. It was prophesied from Apollo himself." From behind Zeus, Apollo spoke up.

"Even I can't fully understand what I was given as a prophecy, but that's what it said from my interpretation."

"Can we hear this prophecy?" Reyna asked, cutting into the conversation.

"No," Apollo quickly said. "No way. No one except for the gods that are here are ever going to hear that prophecy. I'll take it to my grave."

"Father–," Octavian began, only to be cut off by a sharp look from the god in question.

"I'm not budging on this," Apollo said with an uncharacteristic harshness. "You guys aren't going to hear it, period."

Percy was rather taken aback by Apollo's aggressiveness. From the few times he had interacted with the god, Apollo had always seemed like an easygoing and fun-loving kind of person. It was more than just a little strange to see him so on edge and, dare he say, scared.

Two more of the figures stepped forward, one hooded and dressed like a Hunter and the other clearly being one of the Olympians. The Olympian's haziness fell away as his features morphed clearly into those of Hades, while the second figure took off their hood to reveal Nico di Angelo's face.

"Nico," Percy greeted. He hadn't seen the younger boy in Camp Half-Blood after they had returned from journeying to Mount Othrys the first time and was worried until Chiron had told him that he wanted to find his father. While Percy had little trust in Hades, he doubted the god would smite his own son.

"Hey Percy," Nico happily replied, a smile on the boy's face. He looked considerably different than the last time Percy had seen him – a year had given him plenty of time to grow. He noticeably stood a few inches taller and strapped to his belt was a short sword. He carried himself with a poise and confidence that he did not have just a year earlier.

"Zeus," Hades finally said, his voice as oily and dark as ever, "is it done?" The god in question nodded. Sighing, Hades turned to eye Percy. "I cannot believe I gave up so much just to help _you_ of all demigods." With another huff, he turned and walked back toward where the other Olympians stood.

"Ignore my dad," Nico amicably said, looking at his father's retreating form. "He's been like this for a couple of weeks now."

"I can imagine," Percy dryly responded. "Especially since he thought I stole his helm at one point."

"Well, that's pretty understandable." Nico looked up and down Percy's own weapon. "How would you feel if you had to give up your trident?"

"I would give it up in a heartbeat if I had to."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well then, I stand corrected I guess."

As they spoke, another two figures approached from behind Nico. One of them was Artemis while the other, taking off her hood as she walked, was none other than Bianca di Angelo.

"Lady Artemis," both Percy and Thalia politely deferred to the goddess, nodding slightly as she approached them. Off to the side, Zeus huffed. "They didn't do that for me."

"Your reputation does not help, father," Artemis gracefully said out loud, coming to a stop with Bianca in front of the two powerful demigods.

"Perseus Jackson. Thalia Grace," Artemis said in a quieter voice. Absentmindedly, Percy noticed both Reyna and Jason coming up behind him to hear what the goddess had to say. "We have come for a single purpose – to end the threat that Chaos poses to the world as we know it."

"How bad would it be if we fail?" Jason asked from behind Percy. Artemis quickly flicked her sight to the son of Zeus, causing him to wilt slightly under her formidable stare. Reaching out, she placed one hand on Jason's shoulder. Instantly, his jaw went slack as his eyes de-focused. He convulsed in place for a few seconds before stopping, dropping to his knees as he panted.

"Jason!" Reyna cried out, holding onto her fellow praetor and friend. "Are you okay?"

Jason weakly nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine. Just… a little tired." He forced himself to look upward at the waiting goddess. "What was that? How'd you do that?"

"A combination of some of my more esoteric powers," Artemis cryptically answered. "What you saw was just a glimpse of the madness that will dominate life as we all know it should Chaos gather his full strength and release it upon the world."

"A glimpse, huh?" Jason said, shakily standing up. "I think I'm good with just a glimpse."

"Indeed. That is why we must all fight, because what we will lose if we don't is far greater than any possible alternative course of action."

Reyna grimaced slightly. "You want us to march against Mount Othrys? I'm sure you know about our mandate."

Artemis turned toward the other praetor of the Twelfth Legion, her form shimmering slightly even though it was already in its combined state to reflect the more militaristic nature of Diana. "If you do not join us, all of your legionnaires will perish, along with your camp and council. There is no alternative."

Jason slowly nodded his head. "I agree, Reyna. We can't ignore this. If we can save more lives by fighting, then the council can't say anything about it."

Reyna considered her fellow praetor's words for a few moments before nodding as well. "Alright, that'd work. I mean, we even have the backing of the gods themselves, so I can't see how the council could go against this. What do you need us to do, Lady Diana?"

"Work with Perseus and Thalia to fight against the forces of Chaos. We," she gestured to the other Olympians, "will fight the Titans that are under its thrall and distract them from all of you." Some of the demigods from Camp Half-Blood that stood nearby shuddered at the thought of the Olympians fighting against the Titans again – the last time they did, the entire camp had been destroyed, and many had been lost in the crossfire of such a destructive encounter.

"Very well," Reyna agreed. "When do we begin our attack?"

"We should prepare to fight in the morning," Artemis responded. "My Hunters have traveled fast and hard to get here, and I would like them all to be well-rested and ready to fight."

"Wait!" a voice suddenly cried out. Everyone turned to face Octavian, who stood straight-backed in an air of self-importance. "It is against the legion's tradition to move so hastily. We must urge caution and restr–"

"You would do well," Artemis tightly said, her tone clipped as she shifted closer to her Diana aspect, "to remember your station, _augur_. You have no say in these proceedings, nor any control of the direction of the legion."

The son of Apollo looked miffed at the shutdown but sagged under the gazes of so many powerful figures.

"Return to your posts!" Reyna ordered the assembled cohort. "Prepare for battle tomorrow morning. Further orders will be given to your centurions."

Romans and Greeks alike murmured as they all walked away, leaving the Hunters standing in lines, the various Olympians scattered in the open field, and their leaders alone at the end of the path. Annabeth cast one backward glance at Percy and Thalia, her eyes belying her desire to stay with her friends and help them, but she eventually turned away and continued to walk on the path.

"My Hunters will require some temporary lodging for the night," Artemis said directly to Reyna. The younger woman nodded.

"I'll… see to that." With a curt nod, the female praetor turned on her heel and walked down the path that her soldiers had left on.

Artemis gave Percy and Thalia one last look before gesturing to her Hunters to follow her down the path. Nico waved a good-bye to the two of them as he followed his sister and the rest of the Hunters. Zeus looked as if he wanted to pat Thalia on the shoulder, but he paused his arm mid-raise and lowered it again, instead just walking past them with the rest of the gods. Soon enough, Percy and Thalia were the last two left standing, Percy with his trident impaled in the ground and Thalia with her sword hanging loosely in her two hands.

"Are you okay?" Percy quietly asked, his voice full of concern. Thalia looked up at him, her normally vibrant blue eyes taking on a glassy quality, listless and unfocused.

"Thalia," Percy said her name again, this time placing a hand on her shoulder. She blinked a few times in quick succession.

"Oh, yeah, I'm… I'm fine, I think. Just a little fried, you know."

Percy slowly nodded, his expression somewhat disbelieving. "Are you sure? You don't see alright."

"No, I'm good. It's just the sword. I think my dad combining his bolt and Hades' helm into it kinda rebounded on me. I mean," Thalia began to quietly chuckle as she slid her sword back into her empty scabbard, "I swear I even heard words. I think I just need to lie down and rest a bit. Plus, aren't you the one who just woke up from exhaustion? You're not one to talk."

Percy waved it off. "I'll be fine. On the other hand, let's get you to a bed or something. You need to keep up your strength." He picked up his trident with his left hand and held Thalia's left hand with his right.

The two of them slowly but surely made their way back onto the path, walking toward her tent. Every time she stumbled or slipped, Percy was there to catch her, and she was grateful for him being a steady presence in a time of need. She was sure that it wouldn't be the last time she would have to rely on him, and she was ready, mentally if not physically, to reciprocate when the time came.

* * *

Percy sat in the mess hall of the now enlarged Roman camp, an empty plate in front of him as he rested his elbows on the table, his hands clasped and fingers crossed as he contemplated the various thoughts running through his head. It had been quite a few hours since he had helped Thalia into her cot, and while she had rested peacefully, he was still concerned by her sudden lack of energy and strength. The only conceivable attributable factor was Zeus enhancing her sword with two Olympian weapons, but it was a strange reaction considering Percy had not suffered anything similar to that when Chronos had first enhanced the blade.

A series of shocked gasps shook Percy out of his musing, and he turned to see none other than Zeus himself standing behind him. The king of the gods stood tall and regal in a suit, and even though Percy knew he had grown tremendously in strength, there was still an intimidation factor from Zeus stemming from age and experience that Percy could not hope to match. Combined with the steely glare from the god of the sky, and there was a little more than a queasy feeling beginning to show itself in Percy's stomach.

It was, in essence, a classic case of the boyfriend meeting the dad.

"Come with me," Zeus murmured, though his murmur still boomed like thunder. Percy nodded, picking up his plate to put it on the cleaning table before jogging slightly to follow the fast-walking god out of the massive cafeteria tent.

The two of them quietly walked to the end of the camp, back to the edge of the forest where the Hunters and the Olympians had appeared earlier that day. Finally, Zeus came to a stop at the end of the gravel path, and Percy, though he could not say he was an expert in Olympian psychology, swore that he saw a hint of wistfulness in Zeus' eyes as he viewed the landscape of nature in front of them.

"I remember many things, young Perseus," Zeus finally said. "Many things. Perhaps too many. But one that now clearly stands out to me is that of a namesake of yours."

"King Perseus, your son?"

"No. A different namesake, as Fate would have it, from the same period. Curiously enough, it took me a while to hear of this particular namesake, and by the time that I had, he was long gone from my reach."

Percy gulped. "I… see."

"I bring this up because I had found out he was a son of Poseidon, so for centuries upon centuries until I forgot about the matter entirely, I pondered why a son of Poseidon would be named the same as one of my own sons at the same time." Zeus eyed Percy with a knowing look. "I also talked to Pleione after a while. She gladly showed me her new sword, one of that I am sure you know quite well."

"Uh…" Percy was unsure of how to respond.

"I do not know why you existed millennia ago, but truly, I do not care. The time for that is long past. Rather, I would only want you to know that _I_ know what great deeds you have done, be it in that time or this."

"Okay…" Percy hesitantly said. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

Zeus sighed and turned to Percy. "There may come a time when I am no longer able to be here like this. One day when I will not be able to see my daughter grow up and traverse mortal life's many perils and dangers." He placed a hand on Percy's shoulder, a move that shocked the demigod as being wholly uncharacteristic of the god from what he knew of Zeus. "I place my trust in you that you will keep her safe when I can no longer do so."

"Wait, what do you mean? I can't imagine that you'll be going anywhere soon."

Zeus chuckled quietly, another action that was seemingly uncharacteristic of the god even though it was humorless. "Immortality is not a defense against everything, young Percy. Your father – my brother – is an example of that. We can still fall, be dispersed beyond any hope of ever achieving consciousness. That is death in and of itself."

"If you are gone, what can I do against whatever defeated you?"

Zeus pursed his lips. "You do not know your own strength. Thalia, with her sword's essence combined with my Master Bolt and Hades' Helm of Darkness, could more than stand toe-to-toe with any of us Olympians now. _You_ , however, could do that without that sword, and certainly without my brother's trident, which is now yours. Triton may have taken the throne to be king of the seas, but you are the true god of the seas now."

A wave of power and aura washed over Percy like the water of the oceans with Zeus' words, forcing him to close his eyes and internalize what he felt. When he reopened them, he felt the change immediately. It was a christening, elevating him officially to the stature of the Olympians even though he had already been at their level before.

"That is my declaration of faith in you. That is why I will trust you with my daughter even though a year ago I would have destroyed you for less. I trust that you will prove my faith to not be misplaced, and I daresay that I have no need to explain what would happen should you break her heart. A battle between the two of us alone may be inconclusive, but I would bring the full might of Olympus to bear upon you should you do wrong by her."

"I understand," Percy vowed. "You can trust me when I say that I will always try to do my best regarding Thalia."

Zeus leaned back and nodded. "Very well then, Percy, god of the seas. You may go."

"Uh, wait," Percy suddenly spoke up. "Does this mean I'm immortal?"

Zeus wryly smiled. "Only if you choose to be."

Percy opened his mouth as if to respond before closing it again and tilting his head slightly in acknowledgement. He turned around and walked down the path back to the camp, leaving Zeus alone.

The god of the sky's expression showed none of even the passing humor he had when he spoke with Percy as he stared into the stars of the night sky. He could trace the history of great heroes and events through the stars, memories of times long past. His shoulders slumped as he recalled the prophecy that Apollo had unexpectedly uttered, with the clear message and ominous tone it brought.

 _Their time was ending_.

Percy quietly entered Thalia's tent with a plate of food, immediately looking to her in bed. She was still quietly slumbering, the only noise being the soft sound of air being breathed in and out. Percy lowered the plate of food onto the small folding table that stood beside the cot, but as he turned to leave, Thalia's hand stretched out to touch him.

"Percy," she murmured, "what time is it?"

Percy checked Thalia's digital watch, which lay on the folding table. "About nine. How do you feel?"

Thalia yawned and sat herself up in bed. "Sleepy, but more like the regular kind. I could probably sleep until tomorrow morning. I am starving though." She blinked a few times to clear her vision before it fell upon the plate of food that Percy had placed down. "Thanks."

"No problem," Percy whispered as he sat in a nearby folding chair while Thalia swung her legs over the side of the bed, pulled the table to the edge of the bed, and started digging into the hot food.

"So, anything happen while I was out?" Thalia muttered out between bites.

"I had a talk with your dad."

"Oh, really? What about?"

"… stuff."

Thalia paused with the spoon halfway in mid-air. "That's not very descriptive."

"Well, stuff about _us_."

" _Oh_." The spoon completed its journey and fell back into the now-empty plate.

Percy stood up and moved the folding table away, leaving Thalia to utter a quick "thanks" as she swished her mouth out with a nearby water bottle and slid back underneath the cot's blanket. Turning to go, he felt Thalia's hand stretch out for him a second time, and he placed the empty plate on the table as he turned to face her again.

"Sleep with me?" she whispered. "Like we did last night?"

Staring into her eyes, Percy could never refuse.

"It'll be kinda tight."

"That's okay. Here." She shifted slightly to the left side of the small cot, giving Percy some space to light on the right side. He took off his shoes and socks before sliding into the cot, feeling Thalia's warmth permeating to him underneath the cover of the blanket. Even in the late summer night, it was comforting, and he felt his grasp on the waking world quickly sliding as exhaustion crept back in. The last thing he felt was Thalia, holding onto him just as he held onto her.

* * *

The march back up Mount Tamalpais to Mount Othrys was quiet. Trepidation filled everyone's heart for what was to come, even though they had spent the last night steeling their hearts for it. No amount of preparation could ready them for the possibility of dying.

Percy and Thalia walked alongside Chiron, Reyna, and Jason near the front of the column, while Annabeth, Grover, Bianca, and Nico walked right behind them. The Olympians had elected to be in front, while the Hunters marched behind the lead demigods and in front of the other Greek demigods. The Twelfth Legion Fulminata made up the rear as they continued on the path they had walked just the day before.

Soon enough, they found themselves back on the plateau that had seen much bloodshed already. It was battle-scarred, the terrain features having been soaked with blood and dead bodies before being eroded by Percy's feat. Still, the wall to Mount Othrys proper stood as tall as ever, almost mocking them for their futile attempt to breach it.

This time, however, they had more than enough firepower to break down the wall.

Zeus grunted as he generated a massive bolt of lightning from his right arm. Even without his Master Bolt, he was still the god of lightning, and with a roar, he flung the bolt toward the tall, reinforced doors of the wall.

The explosion was nearly deafening, forcing everyone that wasn't an Olympian to cover their ears at the sound. When the smoke finally cleared, Percy saw that the door was no longer there – more accurately, half of the wall was no longer there, along with a good portion of the ground both inside and outside the wall. It created a shallow, circular basin which had its diameter where the wall used to be and curved up to meet the steps of the temple, partially built into the side of the mountain, that stood inside the walls.

"Forward!" Reyna yelled, followed by Chiron and Thalia. At once, the mass of demigods, nature spirits, and Olympians charged forward. As they ran, monsters of all shapes and sizes rushed out of the temple, forming lines that numbered into the thousands as they prepared for the attack. After the last monster had come out of the temple, multiple figures slowly came out as well. They were unlike any monster before them, clad in armor and radiating power and authority. The Titans had come as well.

"Percy," Zeus quickly said with a hint of being out of breath, pulling beside the demigod as they ran toward the fight, "we will deal with the Titans. Let the others handle the monsters. You and Thalia need to get inside the temple to deal with Chaos, or all of this will have been in vain." Percy nodded, and Zeus pulled away as he and the other Olympians sprinted faster than anyone else. As one, they all jumped into the air, clearing the hordes of monsters below them to land in front of the Titans that had deigned to join the battlefield. Explosions, flashes of light, and rumblings commenced, but Percy paid them no heed as he ran toward the monsters.

The Romans, coordinated as they were, came to a halt, forming solid lines before slowly advancing once they reached the ruins of the wall. The Greeks quickly followed suit, taking notes from the Romans as they taunted the monsters. Behind the formed lines, the Hunters quickly began firing volleys of arrows into the horde of monsters, vaporizing dozens with each round.

Percy ignored all of that behind him, rushing forward with his trident. He blew away multiple monsters with each swing as he moved forward, his mere presence enough to cause some of the weaker monsters to cower in fear. Beside him, Thalia did much of the same, combining her sword skills with her powers to devastating effect.

The Greco-Roman line finally closed with the monsters and chewed up those that were left in the path of carnage after Percy and Thalia had already moved through. The disorganization of the monsters made it easy for the experienced Greek and Roman campers to quickly slaughter those that were left while Chiron's forces cleaned up the sides, and soon enough they were making their way past what was left of the walls and into the courtyard.

Percy and Thalia finally reached the other side of the horde of monsters, rushing up the battle-scarred steps of the temple where the Olympians had fought the Titans just minutes earlier. Making their way into the temple itself, they ran across the marble floor, their footsteps echoing in the grand, if dark and empty, chamber.

"Ah, you have made it this far," a voice echoed from the dark recesses of the other side of the chamber. Percy and Thalia both came to a pause as the figure came into view. He was glowing, bathed in a golden light, and color was shared by his armor, hair and even eyes. It was an intense golden color, one that reminded Percy more of the sun than of the metal. There was a faint resemblance to Apollo.

"Let me introduce myself," the Titan grinned. "I am Hyperion, and this is as far as you will get." Without further ado, the Titan swung his long golden sword, with the two demigods narrowly dodging it by falling backward. Hyperion held his sword over his head before swinging it down on Percy who, laying on the floor, barely pulled his trident up in time to catch the sword mid-swing. Thalia, having picked herself off the floor, quickly swung at the Titan, who retracted his blade to parry Thalia's.

Percy used the distraction to pick himself off the floor, and seeing Hyperion locking blades with Thalia, quickly thrust his trident forward. Hyperion snarled and jumped backward, holding his sword out as both Percy and Thalia advanced on him. Thalia made the first move, swinging her sword horizontally to force Hyperion to block, but instead, he moved in closer and past Thalia's swing, opting instead to throw a brutal punch at her chest. Thalia flew across the chamber into a pillar, wheezing after the air had been knocked out of her chest.

Percy tried to back away as quickly as he could, his trident too long to use effectively at such a short distance, but Hyperion grabbed him by the throat before he could, lifting him off the ground. The trident slipped from Percy's hand as he tried to pull Hyperion's grip off his throat, but it was ironlike and unmovable. Just as his vision began to blur and darken, he heard a familiar voice from the entrance of the temple.

"No!" Grover yelled out, his goat hooves echoing on the marble floor. Quickly acting, the satyr pulled out his reed pipes and began to blow. As he did so, Hyperion roared in anger and pain, and Percy barely could look down to see thick roots growing around Hyperion's legs. As Grover walked closer and the spell intensified, the roots grew faster and thicker until they covered much of the Titan's lower body.

Hyperion dropped Percy as he focused on peeling the wood off of himself, and with a yell, emanated a wave of power that blew the growing roots off of his body. The shockwave passed through Grover, filling him with a deep fear that he could not immediately overcome and metaphorically rooting him to the spot. With clear anger, he strode forward and swatted the reed pipes out of Grover's hands.

"For that, satyr" the Titan snarled, "you die." With a heave, Hyperion thrust his long golden sword through Grover's chest, and pulled it out after a moment and lowering it to his side, letting the blade, slick with Grover's blood, drip onto the pristine floor.

"Agh!" Percy cried, forcing himself up as he picked up his trident. Dodging Hyperion's first swing by ducking, he elbowed the Titan in the chest, forcing him backward.

"Percy!" Thalia yelled, causing him to turn to her. She was already sitting upright, albeit coughing slightly. Grunting, she threw her sword as well as she could across the chamber, and Percy extended his left hand to catch it out of the air and parry Hyperion's wild counter-swing. With his trident, he slammed its back end into the Titan's foot, causing Hyperion to yell with pain as he stumbled backward. Dodging another wild swing, Percy slammed the trident with such force into Hyperion's sword arm that he could feel whatever bones were underneath crack. The long golden sword that the Titan wielded fell to the ground with a clang, but Percy paid that no heed as he swung Thalia's sword and sliced off Hyperion's left arm, causing a spray of golden ichor to come out.

"Die!" Percy howled, and he swung the trident upward into the bottom of the Titan's head. The middle prong pierced all the way through Hyperion's head, the tip poking through the top of his skull, and the Titan's face immediately went slack as ichor leaked out of every orifice of his head. Percy leaned in to stare the Titan eye-to-eye as the light faded from Hyperion's, and drawing back, he pulled the trident out and swung Thalia's sword one last time, beheading the already-dead Titan.

Ignoring the decapitated body of Hyperion falling to the ground, Percy rushed over to Grover, throwing his weapons on the ground as he knelt by his first friend.

"Hey, hey, come on," Percy quickly said, holding Grover's right hand with his own. "Come on, G-man, you can pull through this."

Grover shook his head and smiled yearningly.

"Just, just hold on and let me get some help."

Grover placed his left hand on Percy's chest. "No, no, it's too late." He coughed out blood as he struggled to breath. "I want you to stay."

"No," Percy quietly cried, tears forming in his eyes. "Not like this. Not now."

Grover grimaced in pain but did his best to appear happy for Percy. "It's alright, man. It's fine. When I die, you know, I'll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. I–" he coughed again, "I've always wanted to be reincarnated as a flower. A nice daffodil, maybe, or a daisy. I'd be okay with that."

Percy wiped away some of the tears that had fallen. "You'd really be okay with being a flower?"

Grover serenely looked at the dark ceiling of the temple. "Can't imagine another way to go." He looked back at Percy. "But you need to do what you gotta do." He pulled himself closer to Percy using the latter's arm. "Chaos. You need to end this." Falling back down to the ground, Grover wheezed as he quickly panted with shallow breaths.

"I– I'm really glad I got to be friends with you, Percy."

Percy swallowed. "Me too, Grover, me too."

Grover smiled one last time before closing his eyes. The last bit of breath left his body as his chest fell, and suddenly he was still.

Percy knelt there for a few seconds, shaking as he struggled to contain his tears. Finally, he stood up, his fists balled up.

"Percy?" Thalia's voice came from behind him. He turned to see Thalia slowly walking over. She looked alright for having been thrown with such force, and Percy sighed as he saw her.

"Let's get Chaos," he spat. Slowly nodding, Thalia picked up her sword and Percy his trident before the two of them ran deeper into the bowels of the temple.

The very air grew thicker and wilder as they ran deeper into the mountain, and instead of going deeper into the mountain as Percy had originally assumed, they actually climbed it, scaling stairs at a rapid pace. Soon, they found themselves on a familiar open summit.

"You!" Atlas spat, still where Percy had left him a year earlier holding the sky. "You dare come back? If I were not under this, I would crush you like an ant!"

"Quiet, or I'll cut your head off!" Thalia snapped at the Titan, nervously looking around the summit.

"Empty words," the Titan sneered. "Ignoring the fact that the sky would come ccrashing down and destroy your puny mortal world, I am the Titan of endurance and have lasted for millennia under the weight of the sky – your sword–" The Titan paused when his eyes bulged as he examined her sword. "Even your sword cannot kill me."

Percy ignored the trapped Titan's posturing and looked past the immense weight Atlas carried. At the far end of the summit, Aphrodite's figure stood, facing off the cliff in the other direction. Around the figure, the air contorted itself in unnatural ways, and Percy could feel his goosebumps rising just from the sight of the figure.

Chaos turned, and Percy forced himself to look forward and not turn away in horror. It was a grotesque sight – where Aphrodite had once been a paragon of beauty, Chaos had morphed the features into something terrible. Her face had been mixed and mashed until it was nearly unrecognizable, save for a mouth, a nose, and two eyes that swirled like kaleidoscopes into oblivion.

"So, you have come," Chaos said, its tone neutral.

"It's time to finish this once and for all," Percy yelled back, sounding braver than he felt.

"I agree," Chaos quietly replied. "Today, everything will be finished… once and for all."

Percy charged forward with his trident, thrusting quickly. Chaos deftly dodged the attack, sidestepping it and allowing Percy to overextend himself. Out of its cloak, Chaos pulled out a long, thin blade, and for a moment, Percy feared that he had made a terrible mistake. Luckily for him, Thalia charged in as well, swinging her sword, and Chaos turned to parry that attack instead of ending Percy.

Chaos overpowered Thalia in a battle of locked blades, causing her to stumble backward as Percy swung his trident at Chaos' head. Chaos simply tilted its head to avoid the swing and flung itself forward, forcing Percy to backpedal and try to keep Chaos at arms-length.

"This isn't working," Thalia huffed, coming to Percy's side. They were now on the other side of Atlas from Chaos, a good twenty yards apart. Chaos merely smiled at their predicament but was seemingly content to just watch them.

"Whenever you two are ready to continue," Chaos' voice echoed across. "The longer you wait, the worse it will be for you. Even as I speak, I gather more chaos to me."

Percy looked at his trident and back at Chaos. It seemed absurd to beat Chaos using it – even Hyperion was easier to fight, considering he could actually land blows on the Titan. He had no ability to get close to touching the primordial.

"I have been waiting an eternity for this. I will not be denied by two children, no matter how powerful you two may be. There is no power, Olympian or Titan, that can stand against me."

Olympian or Titan. Percy's mind raced to find a solution. He looked back down at his trident. It had been his father's, a symbol of power akin to those formerly held by Zeus and Hades. When the bolt and helm had been added, Thalia's sword had increased in power…

" _Even your sword cannot kill me_." Atlas' words echoed back.

" _There is no power, Olympian or Titan, that can stand against me_." Chaos' words.

It was a sudden epiphany that came across Percy, his mind finally piecing it all together. Without speaking, he slammed his trident into Thalia's sword.

"What, Per–" She was cut off by the intense light that emitted from the reaction. The light was so bright that even Atlas and Chaos turned away, yet Percy stood there, weathering its full might as he pressed his trident into the essence of the sword. Thalia stood still, taking the feeling of power and might that surged through the sword into her without moving. Like with Zeus, as soon as it began, it stopped, but to Percy, it felt like both an instant and an eternity at the same time.

His trident was gone. Instead, the sword now had a new design – the blade had an intricately carved three-pronged trident on one side, while the ancient writing persisted on the other.

"It feels… different," Thalia whispered. "This wasn't how it was like after my dad did it."

"That's because it's complete now," Percy replied, stepping back. "A complete trifecta of the Olympians' power distilled into a form more powerful than any other weapon before it. And now, we can end this." He reached out a hand, and Thalia handed over the sword. Feeling the power hum contently through its hilt, Percy strode over to Atlas, who had fallen silent at the sight of the sword, and cleaved his head off in one blow.

"No!" Chaos roared, jumping forward. But it was too late.

Atlas' headless body fell to the ground, and with it, the sky itself. A balance that had been crafted by the _protogenoi_ themselves, it was beyond even Chaos' ability to stop.

And so the sky fell.

In that moment, Thalia knew what was going to happen, so she rushed forward and took Percy's other hand in her own, wanting to stand together at the very end. Chaos screamed at its own impotence in the situation, having no ability to stop Gaia and Ouranos' point of creation.

And yet, something happened. Something wholly unexpected.

A bright light emitted from the sword, but one completely unlike the others before it. It was a bright, pure white light, overpowering the features of everything else around it until Percy could see nothing but white light. Suddenly he felt himself being sucked into something, but he had no time to even scream before it happened. His only comfort was the sensation of Thalia's hand in his.

* * *

 _SomewhereNowhereEverywhere_

Percy blinked. For a moment, it felt as if he were floating in a pool, at peace in the water. But now he could see that he clearly was not. He looked down at his hand, seeing Thalia's in it, and he traced her hand all the way up to her face, where he saw Thalia looking at him with much the same expression. Then he turned to see his surroundings.

He stood on a white tree. More accurately, he stood on the massive trunk of a horizontal white tree. When he turned backward, he could see no roots, only an endless trunk. On the other end, the tree curved, its trunk extended upward – if directions had any meaning where they were – and split into branches, all devoid of leaves. Each branch had more on it, a seemingly endless pattern to Percy's eyes.

He glanced at the surrounding blackness around the tree, only to quickly turn his gaze back to the tree. In that single moment, he felt terror take hold of his body, and he truly feared for his sanity from just that one glance. It was like Chaos, but even _more_ primordial, more untamed, more removed from the logic of human beings. It was not meant to be understandable by mere mortals, and Percy was pretty sure that it was not meant to ever be viewed by anyone, ever.

"I see you have found your way here, young Perseus," a familiar voice rang out. Percy spun around to see Chronos standing behind, staring at the tree much as he had earlier. "I was wondering when you would come."

"Who are you?" Thalia quickly asked, before realizing that neither she or Percy had any weapons on them.

"This is, uh, Chronos. Thalia, Chronos; Chronos, Thalia," Percy tried to introduce the two of them.

"Kronos?!" Thalia nearly shrieked.

"No, no," Percy hurriedly explained. "They just sound the same. Chronos with a 'c-h', no 'k'."

"Quite right from young Perseus," Chronos beamed. "I am Chronos of the _protogenoi_ , not the Titan Kronos."

" _Protogenoi_ …" Thalia whispered to herself. "Wait, Percy, you know a primordial?!"

Percy sighed and rubbed his chin. "Long story." He turned to Chronos. "Anyway, why are we here?"

Chronos clapped his hands together. "I am glad you asked. I have been waiting for this for a long time – ever since I gave you that sword, in fact. You see, that sword was nothing more than an empty vessel until I imbued it with a considerable portion of my strength and thus myself. I gave it powers beyond the mortal imagination, but it would require more power to activate at all. That way, I knew it would not activate until it was needed."

"But how did we get… here? And what is this place, anyway?"

"One at a time," Chronos replied. "So, when you kept adding more powerful Olympian weapons to the sword, it began to properly channel the power that I kept inside the sword in the first place. By completing the trifecta and having the three powerful symbols of Olympian power contained inside the sword, it finally became what it was meant to be – a conduit for pure, unadulterated power and a connection to more. When the sky, a representation of the creation event of the Titans themselves and the beginning of the Greek mythos, fell due to the sword, it opened that conduit and led you here."

"As for where you are," Chronos continued, chuckling slightly. "Well, that is a hard question to answer. For one could easily say you are nowhere, compressed to an infinitesimally small space. Perhaps you are everywhere, looking at the fabric of reality itself. The most correct, yet the least rewarding and explaining answer is that you are somewhere, and that is all you can possibly know about this place."

Percy looked down at the white wood. "What is this, then?"

Chronos looked at the multitude of infinitely branching branches. "A representation. Your minds could not possibly handle what the real presentation of this place is, so it has made a façade for you to view, one that you can comprehend. In a sense, this is a world tree, even though world trees have never been part of the Greek mythos. It is a world tree _for_ the Greek mythology, one that contains everything you have ever known as demigods. And in it lies the answer to how you can prevail."

Thalia's sword suddenly reappeared in her right hand, and she looked at Percy with confusion.

"There is a choice to be made here," Chronos explained. "What you see before you is what sustains the Greek mythology – it is a distillation of every terror and joy you have experienced from what mortals consider to be nothing more than myth. And you now have a weapon that can destroy it all."

"Destroy?" Percy incredulously asked, turning to Chronos.

"Destroy," Chronos confirmed. "It would wipe out everything in the Greek mythos – the Titans, the Olympians, satyrs, centaurs, nymphs, the godly parts of both of you, and yes, even the _protogenoi_. Even me."

With a sudden chilling realization, Percy understood. He understood _perfectly_. It all fit together.

The Great Prophecy.

 _A half-blood of the eldest gods shall reach sixteen against all odds_

Thalia was sixteen. Today. Or at least was, in the world where time had meaning. In fact, Percy could feel it in himself as well. He had no idea how long he truly spent in the ancient world or what it had done to his body, but he could feel it in him. Against all odds, _two_ half-bloods of the eldest gods had reached sixteen.

 _And see the world in endless sleep_

They stood in a world without time, where nothing would move forward or back. It was endless until they chose to end it.

 _The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap_

Thalia's sword was destined, marked, cursed to do this. It would rip the Olympian part of them from their soul and destroy it.

 _A single choice shall end his days_

It was his choice to be immortal or not. And now it was contingent on what he chose here.

 _Olympus to preserve or raze_

The terrible, final line brought clarity.

This war was never about saving Olympus from destruction and Chaos.

It was about razing Olympus to save everything else.

"Thalia," Percy whispered. "Thalia."

"I know," Thalia replied, still holding the sword. "But I don't know if I can."

"Then we do it together."

Thalia looked into Percy's eyes.

"Together."

Each clamping both hands on the sword's hilt, the lifted it as high as they could, then slammed into the white bark of the world tree of Greek mythos. Pulp flew out, yet the tree was still intact. They raised the sword again.

"It is interesting to ponder," Chronos began to speak to no one in particular, "what it will be like."

The sword fell again, sending small wood chips flying into the dark abyss.

"For most never see or hear anything about these myths in their lives. No indication that there are gods and Titans and monsters all around them, courtesy of the Mist. That begs the question – is any of it real?"

The sword fell again, and now it was ripping pieces of wood away.

"The Mist obscures mortal sight, but really, is it not just separating these worlds. Functionally, do these myths truly exist, or are they just a figment of a collective imagination of some humans? And where does that leave me – a being with independent thought and free will, or just a tool to an end?"

The sword fell again, and now the faintest of light was visible from deep within the tree.

"I suppose it does not matter in the end, for this will all be over. Soon, it will be like a portion of humanity waking up from a terrible nightmare, free from the clutches of this mythos and thrust into the motions of regular mortal life. It will be a challenge in and of itself, but one that you may find is worth the pain."

The sword fell again, and now entire chunks of the trunk were flying away.

Chronos smiled one last dry, humorless smile.

"A childhood's end, indeed. An awakening from the dream."

The sword fell one last time, and suddenly Percy and Thalia and Chronos and the white tree were all bathed in light, overwhelming bright light, and suddenly there was only light–


	30. Epilogue: To Our Future

Percy groggily opened his eyes as the sensations of the outside world became apparent. Blinking a few times, he acquiesced to letting his eyes rest behind heavy eyelids. After a handful of moments, he finally forced his eyes open and raised his wrist to see the time through his bleary vision. Six fifty-six – a good four minutes before he actually needed to rise. The bright numbers stood out against the near pitch-black room, nearly searing his poor, freshly-awoken retinas. Letting his arm fall onto the blanket, he turned and nuzzled his cheek into his soft pillow. In front of him, a headful of messy, long black hair splayed out, obscuring his vision of the hints of light that peeked out from under the heavy curtains that kept the room in darkness.

What had he been dreaming about? Or was it, perhaps, a nightmare that he would rather not remember? The hazy details of his sleep eluded him, and in the few seconds it took for him to ask these questions, he also promptly forgot about them; he rarely, if ever, remembered the details of his sleeping life, and in all honesty, he cared little to know. Forgetting all about those brief concerns, Percy wrapped his arms around his wife of nine years, his breathing becoming rhythmic and steady as he fell back into his former, restful state.

* * *

 _–there was only light, shining and blinding, and suddenly there was nothing. No light, no dark, but rather simply nothing at all, its depth unfathomable and its extent undefinable. It was a nothingness that stretched into infinity beyond the comprehension of any mortal mind, with the only surety being that it was irrevocably oblivion. And then it all snapped back into an instant – less than an instant, a measure of time so miniscule that it could scarcely be said to have passed at all._

 _A microcosm of space and time, ending as it collapsed upon itself, with just the barest hints of light at the very center, flickering dimly in the gnawing void–_

* * *

 _2008 – Fifteen Years Earlier_

Percy flinched. His vision snapped into focus from darkness and he suddenly realized that he was still standing on the peak of Mount Othrys. He blinked. Everything was the same. Atlas' decapitated body lay unmoving on the ground, his head a few feet away after it had rolled away. Aphrodite – Chaos – was standing still just a handful of yards away with its head down.

Percy finally unfroze, stumbling slightly as he heaved air in and out of his body. It felt like someone had coursed electricity through his body – every muscle had seized up and moved erratically in ways he could not control. In the corner of his eye, he could see that Thalia had fallen to her knees, more or less in a similar state as he was.

"What…" Thalia breathed out beside him, "was that?"

"I don't know," Percy gritted out, clenching both of his fists to stop his fingers from bending backward too much. He focused all of his mind's energies for a single moment to the sole task of controlling his rebelling body, and after a few horribly tense moments of tortured pain and frustration, he felt a certain calm relaxation flood his limbs and muscles.

He looked up, eyeing Chaos with a weary and wary glare. It was quite noticeable that they no longer had any weapons – his trident was in Thalia's sword, and Thalia's sword, it seemed, was long gone, nowhere to be seen on the peak of Mount Othrys.

Or it could be called Othrys at all anymore?

Chaos' head snapped upward, its eyes wide and hair wild.

"What have you _done_?" it cried, splattering out golden ichor from its mouth as it spoke. The fluid spat into the air, hissing as it dissolved into a fine mist before it fell to the ground in a reaction that Percy had never seen before. "What did you do to me?"

A flood of images hit Percy like a tsunami – the tree, Chronos, the sword in the wood, the light, oh the encompassing, brilliant, horrible light–

He shook his head violently to break the chain of memories.

Chaos took a step and stumbled to the ground, screaming as it fell. "Look at me! What have you done to me?"

Percy suddenly noticed flakes coming off of Chaos' body. No, flake was not entirely the right word to describe it – the particles were finer, more like dust. Already it had consumed Chaos' left arm, and it seemed to accelerate as more of Chaos' body became lost in the wind. The _protogenoi_ struggled to crawl toward the stationary Percy and Thalia, an intense look – hatred, perhaps, mixed with anger and a surprising amount of fear – directed at the two of them.

"I will not perish!" Chaos screamed, the dust consuming its legs and lower body. "Not like this!" Using its right hand, it planted one hand on Percy's foot, but even as it did so, the fingers flittered away like fine grains of sand in the wind.

"No, no," Chaos muttered to itself as the process quickly consumed its torso, "no, no, n–"

The voice cut off. Percy looked down. There was nothing left to signify that there had been a primordial on the ground just moments before – no weapons, no clothes, no body. Even the fallen Atlas, whose head and body had been so neatly split apart by himself just minutes earlier, was gone. There was nothing on the rocky peak except for the two of them.

A rumble sounded from the earth beneath them, and Percy felt a rush of fear shoot through him as his footing became unstable. A massive roar filled the air as a wide crack split through the middle of the ground, and without a second glance, Percy hurriedly grabbed Thalia's hand and rushed back down the rocky steps they had ascended on.

As they quickly traversed down the flights of stairs into the mountain that they had climbed up, the rumbling grew louder and stronger. Rubble and dust fell from the rocky ceiling on the staircase path. Thalia yelped as a section of the ceiling collapsed onto the stair she had just vacated, and the increasingly unstable feeling of the entire mountain caused Percy to run faster.

The two of them finally exited the stairwell just in time, with the staircase wholesale collapsing into a pile of rubble just as they got out. Looking around, the grand chamber that composed the entrance to the temple seemed worse for the wear – cracks ran up the sides of the columns, and the ceiling constantly shook with rubble falling in small and large pieces. Notably, both Hyperion's and Grover's bodies were missing.

"Alright, let's get out of here," Percy whispered, but just as he did so, the ground shook and split open, a wide fissure splitting the room in half, running side to side and between Percy and Thalia and the doorway to the outside.

Without thinking, Percy ran forward and leaped across the growing chasm, barely clearing it and landing on the hard marble with a groan. He turned his head to see Thalia hesitating staring at the growing divide.

"Thalia, jump!" Percy roared. She looked up at him with slightly frightful eyes, and Percy suddenly remembered that she was deathly afraid of heights. The gaping chasm looked as if it stretched into infinity, a seemingly endless void of darkness reaching the depths of the Earth.

"Don't worry," Percy said, trying to keep his voice steady and calm her down, "I'll right here. Worst case scenario, I'll… I'll catch you. Now, you _need_ to jump."

Thalia quickly nodded and gulped. Inhaling and exhaling rapidly for a few seconds, she finally took off in a sprint and stepped off with one foot when she reached the edge. For a single moment to Percy, it felt as if she were frozen in mid-air, but it quickly passed. Her outstretched hand fell just short of the edge of the broken marble floor, but Percy rolled over to throw his arm over the edge, catching her hand in his.

"Gotcha!" Percy muttered, straining as he tried to lift Thalia up. She wasn't heavy, but he still felt a drain on his muscles, the likes of which he hadn't felt in years. He had not felt so weak in so long, and it was even worse to feel like that when someone else's life was on the line. He swung his other arm over the edge and caught her other flailing hand in his own. There was a precarious moment where he felt as though his body was sliding downward toward the chasm on the slick marble floor, but his shoes quickly found purchase on the floor to stop his slide as rubber met marble in a match of friction.

With a sustained grunt, Percy dragged Thalia upward, finding a renewed energy surge through his limbs. Pulling as hard as he could, he heaved the girl over the edge of the cliff and back onto the marble floor, promptly collapsing backward onto the floor as he did so. He took a moment and pushed himself back off the floor, adrenaline coursing through his body as he realized that danger was still imminent. He extended a hand to Thalia and she grabbed it, pulling herself up as they both broke into one last run to the light of the doorway.

A massive chunk of rock collapsed to the ground just feet in front of Percy, eliciting a yell of shock and terror from him as he realized just how close he was to being squished. Re-routing around the side of the rock, he continued onward, seeing Thalia had already crossed the threshold of the doorway and out of the temple entirely.

Percy slipped as the floor gave out from under him and fell into the growing void, but he fell sideways to the ground and rolled down the stone stairs of the temple, narrowly avoiding the massive plume of smoke and dust that billowed out of the now-crumbled doorway and into the air. This time, as he lay on the ground panting, he let himself stay there for more than a moment – he could feel his skin caked in dust and grime, with his clothes dirtied and his hair sharing space with a not-insignificant amount of dirt.

The bright noon sky shone in his face, a stark contrast to the dark and harrowing path he and Thalia had just walked and the danger they had just faced. Even the cloud of dust that rose into the air did little to obscure the brilliant blue, and Percy felt a distinct sense of relief flow through him as it hit him that it was over. It was finally, actually over.

 _They had won._

Then the sound of sobbing hit his ears.

 _But at what cost?_

Percy forced himself onto his side and propped up on his left arm, pushing himself up with a singular motion. Even though some of his hair had fallen over the front of his eyes, he could still clearly see Thalia, a few yards in front of him, on her knees. In the distance, in front of the mass of people and other beings that Percy recognized as the combined Greco-Roman army, the Olympians and the Titans stood stock-still in two opposing lines.

"What is happening?" one of the Titans, who wore a rather distinctive helmet with rams attached to it, roared, pointing accusingly at Zeus himself. "What did you _do_?"

With a start, Percy realized that all of the Titans and Olympians were fading away, just like Chaos. They were slowly crumbling into dust, and with each passing second, more of their bodies disappeared.

The Titan surged forward with great speed, before suddenly tripping after a few steps and stumbling to the ground. "I am Krios, Lord of the South!" the Titan spat, pulling himself forward with his last good arm. "I will not be denied like this!"

"Calm yourself, Krios," Zeus spoke, his voice solemn and soft. "There is no need to struggle like this at the end. You will only hasten the inevitable."

The Titan ignored the Olympian's words, and continued dragging himself further on the ground. With each pull of his arm, he seemed to grow more tired, and after a few moments, he stopped, coughing out golden ichor that faded just as quickly into the air as his body did. And then he stopped moving entirely. Percy blinked. Krios was gone, as were all the Titans who had struggled in their vain attempt to fight to the end. The Olympians, on the other hand, were fading more gracefully, none of them having moved a single step since Krios began his futile fight.

"Thalia, come," Zeus said as he turned to his daughter, gesturing with one hand. She complied, walking slowly and unsteadily up to the King of the Olympians. He put one hand on her head and gently pulled her into an embrace with other. Thalia acquiesced, letting her head rest on his torso even as his legs fully disappeared.

Percy could not hear the softly spoken words Zeus exchanged with Thalia, but all he knew was that after Zeus had stopped speaking, he gently laid a kiss on the top of Thalia's head before pulling her into a full hug. The god locked eyes with Percy, and there was a knowing look shared between the two. It was an intense stare, and the god's blue eyes seemed to see into Percy's soul, searching through his thoughts and rifling through his being. Then he was gone, and Thalia was clutching no more than thin air. She fell to her knees, her head hung low, her empty hands clutching at the past warmth of an absent father.

Getting to his feet, Percy slowly stumbled toward Thalia, but as he did so, he looked at the mass of onlookers. The Roman legionnaires and the Greek campers were standing there unchanged, but all around them, particles of dust floated away into nothingness. Satyrs, dryads, centaurs – none of them, and more, were free from their imminent end. In front of them all, Chiron sat peacefully, his lower body already largely faded away. He turned and saw Percy, giving him a soft and sorrowful smile.

"Do not fret, Percy," the wise centaur stated, seemingly unconcerned about the imminent disappearance of his physical form. "This is what the gods foresaw – there was no alternative. This was the only path with a future, and I am glad that you have chosen it." He paused as his arms disappeared, leaving only his upper torso and head.

"Your father would be proud…" Chiron's voice faded away as he disappeared. Suddenly, all that was left were the Romans, the Greeks, Thalia, and Percy himself. But to him, only Thalia seemed to exist.

He knelt beside her, extending his arms to comfort her. She flinched away as he neared her shoulders, shocking Percy and leaving him to pull backward.

"I'd… I'd like to be alone for a while. Please." Her voice was unsteady and carried an undertone unlike any that Percy had heard from her before.

He acquiesced, standing up and taking a few steps backward, leaving her alone to cry softly into the dirt of the Earth even as Mount Othrys crumbled behind them. It was symbolic enough, as the destruction of the only world they and everyone else present had ever known. But to Thalia, in that moment, all she cared about was that her father was gone, and that she may as well have been the one to cut him down herself.

* * *

The years flurried past in a hurry for Percy. Between attaining his diploma at Goode High School – an achievement that Paul Blofis, his new stepfather, was incredibly proud of Percy for – and finding time to begin a program at a local college, Percy was consistently busy building a new life after he had destroyed his old one.

After the momentous events of Mount Tamalpais, everyone scattered like the wind. For Percy, it was obvious where he would return – he still had a home and a loving mother. However, he soon fell out of contact with everyone he known and cared about from his past – Annabeth, Thalia, Bianca, Zoë, among many others. They were lost to him like tears in the rain, with none of them coming to seek him out after they had individually left that fateful day.

He could not blame them – after all, he himself had made no effort to find them. It was an implicit understanding among the former demigods of both the Roman and Greek camps; everyone needed time and space, both to heal and just to find a path to follow. Their lives had been upended, and while Percy had a fallback in his mother, Paul, his half-sister Estelle, and many new friends, like one Rachel Elizabeth Dare, he had made in high school and around Manhattan to make a new, mortal life for himself, many of the others had no such safety net. He specifically had never forgotten about Thalia, but the words of her last rejection stung him even years later, and it fostered a growing feeling of resentment and inadequacy within him. Because of that, he made no effort to find her after she had left, even though he knew she had nowhere to go unlike him.

There was a piece of Percy that felt immense guilt over what he had done, but in the end, there was nothing to that train of thought. As Chiron himself had said, there was no alternative. Percy and Thalia had made the best choice considering the ones they had available, even if that meant that those he cared about would be hurt in the process. To some extent, there was even a hint of cowardice in him – he had no wish to face those he had hurt, even if he owed them an apology. So, he made no effort to find them, and they, likewise, left him alone.

Until, that is, the past came knocking on his door.

* * *

 _2010_

"Percy! Get the door!" a voice yelled throughout his apartment.

Percy groaned and rolled out of bed, tossing his phone onto the nearby table as he stretched for a few moments. It was no longer the early morning, but it was not quite noon yet either. As befitting a freshly graduated high school student with nothing better to do during the summer before college, Percy was lazing around in bed watching videos on his phone. The knocking sound on the apartment door came back, as did his mother's voice.

"Percy, the door! I'm cooking right, so I don't have any free hands."

"Alright, alright!" Percy yelled back, standing up. He took a look at his pajamas – an old raggedy shirt and shorts – and decided to pull on some jeans before getting out.

"I'm coming!" Percy yelled, more for the benefit of the person knocking on the door than his mother as he walked out of his room and toward the apartment's front door.

"What do yo–" Percy began and cutoff as he opened the door.

"Percy, who is it?" Sally asked, leaning past the corner of the wall to see. She blinked twice to make sure her vision was fine.

"Thalia!" Sally beamed as she saw the girl standing sheepishly in the doorframe.

Percy swallowed hard. Of all the things to happen, he certainly had not expected Thalia to suddenly reappear. She was older – eighteen, biologically, like him, though they were both knocked off their legal ages due to extenuating circumstances – and had dropped parts of her younger style. Her black hair had grown out slightly, reaching her shoulders. She wore shorts and a t-shirt, which was about as fashionable as most girls were during the beginning of summer, but instead of the combat boots she had heavily favored years before, she wore a pair of flip-flops instead. Her t-shirt was, notably, also not her customary black, being a gray color instead.

"Hey, Mrs. Jackson," Thalia quietly greeted before turning toward Percy. "And, uh… hi, Percy."

"Why don't you come in?" Sally offered. Percy acquiesced, moving aside for Thalia to step in, but Thalia stood at the door unmoving.

"It's no need. I just need to talk to Percy."

Percy turned back to Thalia. "Uh, alright. What's up?"

Thalia shook her head. "Not here… I want to go somewhere else."

* * *

 _2023 – Present Day_

Percy's alarm finally rang, and he groaned as he slapped his phone and disabled it. Staring at the plain white ceiling for a few moments, he finally sat up in bed, albeit his head hanging down with eyes closed. Beside him, his wife shifted in bed to face him.

"Already?" Thalia whispered, her eyes half-open.

"Yeah," Percy sighed. "We've got a busy day. Gotta start early." He swung his legs off the side of the bed and stood up.

"You know I love this every year," Thalia whispered, "but getting up this early on a Saturday kills me every time."

"I know," Percy knowingly and lovingly said, before throwing open the heavy curtains of the bedroom's window. Thalia moaned as she placed a hand over eyes as cover from the blinding light.

The bedroom door slammed open as two bundles of energy hurdled in, jumping on the bed and further upsetting Thalia's morning start.

"Hey, hey, get off your mom," Percy playfully ordered. The two kids – a boy and a girl – sighed in disappointment as they rolled off the large bed.

"But dad," the boy groaned, "mom's not getting up."

"Which means we're gonna be late!" the girl completed.

"No," Thalia said, her face in her pillow, "it means we'll be on-time instead of two hours early like we normally are."

The two twins giggled knowingly.

"Alright, alright," Percy clapped his hands, "get back to packing. Don't forget to leave your toothbrush like last time, Eric – after you go brush your teeth now."

The boy groaned again, like all seven-year-old children do when faced with the insurmountable task of maintaining proper oral hygiene every morning and night. His sister, on the other hand, smiled at her brother's torment.

"And you too, Lily – I don't want to have to find out that you purposely left out your sports clothes again. I know you don't like them, but there's no way you're wearing your dress clothes while playing soccer again."

Her smile fell as well. Both kids, considerably less energetic than when they arrived, slunk out of the master bedroom and back to their shared room.

"Whew," Percy sighed. "Alright Thalia, get out of bed."

A grunt was his only response.

* * *

 _2010_

"Alright, Percy. Just be back before midnight. And stay safe!" Sally yelled as Percy swung his bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I got it mom."

"And it was so nice to see you again," Sally commented toward Thalia.

"Thanks for the meal, Mrs. Jackson."

Sally shook her head. "Call me Sally," she offered, with a certain gleam in her eye that both Percy and Thalia missed.

Thalia nodded, and soon enough, both she and Percy were walking down the stairs of the apartment complex in silence. Once they had exited, she walked toward an older car parked on the side of the road. Percy threw his backpack in the back seat and climbed into the front passenger seat while Thalia got in the driver's seat. With a turn of her key, the car started and they were off.

* * *

 _2023_

"Alright, you two have everything?" Percy turned backward to look at his two kids. They both solemnly nodded.

"Toothbrushes?" Nods. "Clothes?" Nods. "Chargers?" Nods. "Towels?" Lily nodded, but Eric blinked a few times.

Percy sighed. "That's fine, you two can share." He ignored Lily's protests and Eric's sigh of relief as he backed the SUV out of the apartment's underground parking spot and toward the exit. With a quick check to look at both sides of the street, Percy pulled onto road and they were off.

* * *

 _2010_

The drive passed in silence, with neither of them willing to begin the much-needed conversation. After about half an hour, Percy realized exactly where they were going. It was an appropriate place, all things considered, to have their talk.

* * *

 _2023_

The drive was boisterous and loud, so much so that Thalia implemented a fifteen-minute silent period halfway through the drive.

"I told you that we should've bought them an iPad," Thalia whispered. "At least they could be content with watching movies on these kinds of roadtrips."

Percy turned for a brief moment to glance at his wife with understanding eyes. "I know, but do you really want to be skewered by my mom when she finds out we've gotten her grandchildren addicted to another screen?"

* * *

 _2010_

The car slowed down and came to a stop in the circle of gravel, a fair way into the forest off the side of the road. Thalia shut off the car's engine and opened her door, with Percy following suit. He stared up at the familiar sign reading 'Camp Half-Blood'. It was faded and worn down, an apt enough allegory for Percy and Thalia's own relationship – whatever kind of relationship that was now.

"Here?" Percy finally spoke up.

Thalia shook her head. "A little deeper inside."

The two of them walked down the well-worn dirt path, into the open clearing that Percy had come to call home over many years. Everything was as broken and burnt down as the last time he had left, and he could not help but feel a bit of pain at seeing the destruction that had never gone away.

A last remnant of a world long forgotten.

* * *

 _2023_

Percy pulled into the paved parking lot, taking one of the spots that said 'reserved for camp counselor'. Shutting off the car, he and Thalia both climbed out as their kids jumped out of the SUV first. He popped open the trunk and starting heaving luggage out, with each of the kids toting their own small backpacks.

Looking up, Percy acknowledged the sign – which read 'Camp Olympus' – as he walked under it with his family. The trail was lined with trees, but soon enough, they had exited into the camp proper. In front of them was a modest-sized cabin with a ticket booth window on its side, but behind it, the rest of the camp, with its many buildings, cabins, and other amenities visible, beckoned.

"Percy?" a familiar voice called out from the ticket booth window. The door to the cabin opened after a few moments, revealing none other than Annabeth Chase. A young female teenager with long brown hair and blue eyes stood behind her. Annabeth was about the same as Percy remembered from the last time they had seen each other – long blonde hair neatly tied up in a ponytail, comfortable shorts and a t-shirt instead of her customary business suit with running shoes instead of flats, and thick-framed glasses that partially covered her gray eyes.

"The one and only," he grinned, extending his arms. Annabeth enveloped both he and Thalia in a hug, before going for the children.

"Auntie Anna!" they cried, wrapping their short arms as best they could across the woman's torso.

"What, I get nothing?" the young teenager dryly asked.

"You're next, auntie Esty," Lily noted.

"Alright, so you two are good with the kids?" Percy asked, shooting finger guns at his half-sister.

"Yeah," Annabeth nodded. "I'll note you all as 'arrived', ahead of time and everyone else like you are every year. Well, everyone except Sally and Paul. I think Jason's also already somewhere here too. Estelle can take them to their cabin and keep them company. I don't think any of the other kids have arrived yet."

"Sweet." Percy and Thalia shared a look.

"We'll see you in a bit," Thalia spoke up with a wink as she waved good-bye. As they walked away, they heard Annabeth snort humorously.

"You'd think they were still sixteen-year-olds, crazily in love."

* * *

 _2010_

Thalia led Percy past the ruins of Camp Half-Blood and through the forest. There was a sense of finality as Percy walked. He knew exactly where they were going and why. He just did not know exactly what to say when the time came.

Brushing aside a stray tree branch, Thalia walked forward as they both exited into a small clearing in the forest. It was surrounded by thick bushes and trees, making it hard to find for those that did not know it existed, and a small pond of crisp, clear water stood in the middle of the clearing. It was completely untouched from the destruction that the rest of the camp bore.

"So," Percy started. Then he stopped, unsure of what to actually say.

Thalia half-turned, wistfully smiling at Percy as the clear water sparkled behind her in the falling afternoon sun. A sudden thrill shot through his heart as he admired her, just as he had years before. Even more than before, she was like an angel in front of him, worthy of becoming the goddess of beauty. He felt like he had just been struck by lightning one more time, just like he was whenever he was with her.

And suddenly he felt like he knew what he needed to say.

* * *

 _2023_

Percy led Thalia past the buildings of Camp Olympus, climbed over the wooden fence that marked the boundary of where the kids could go, and into the forest. Many of its features were still recognizable to Percy, even after more than a decade. There was a history of moments, both good and bad, etched into the very soil and wood of the forest. Yet, Percy stopped to gaze at none of them.

Finally brushing aside a tree branch, he and Thalia stepped into a small clearing. It was surrounded by thick bushes and trees, making it hard to find for those that did not know it existed, and a small pond of crisp, clear water stood in the middle of the clearing. By the water, a small wooden bench sat embedded in the gravel.

They both took a seat on it, letting nature sweep over them with the sound of calling birds and the gentle movement of the clear water. Thalia leaned her head on Percy's shoulder and he took her hand in his.

It was their moment of solitude in their secret place, and it was one that they savored to its fullest extent.

* * *

 _2010_

"I'm sorry," Percy blurted out. Thalia blinked a few times before snorting.

"Sorry for what, kelp head?" Her light voice ringed like music to his ears.

"I… I left you after… _that_. I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

Thalia laughed lightly before shaking her head. "No, I left _you_. I asked to be left alone, and you did what I asked. I was… too scared to go back, to try to make it work after my dad died, so I just did what was easiest, and I ran away." She laughed mirthlessly this time. "I guess that's all I know how to do. Run when the going gets tough."

Percy shook his head. "No, I failed you still. I should've made sure, I should've stayed to try and help you. That was my fault. I still regret not doing anything."

They both fell silent after a few moments.

"I regret," Thalia spoke up, "not mending things, especially how I left them. I was sad, and angry… and just confused after all of that. I didn't mean to push you away like that." A few tears rolled out of her eyes. "I really wish I didn't."

Percy felt tears coming out of his own eyes as well, rolling down his cheeks. He walked forward and embraced Thalia in a hug, with her wrapping her arms around his back as tightly as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry too," Percy choked out. "It's my fault as well. I shouldn't have left so easily."

They eventually loosened their embrace and stepped back from each other, though still standing close to each other, face-to-face.

"You know," Thalia suddenly said. "I kinda want to rebuild all of this. The camp. Make it what it was before. For everyone."

Percy nodded. It was an idea that spoke to his heart. Re-opening the camp, but not just for demigods like it used to. "We'll probably need to change the name, though. I'm not sure how many parents would like their children to be known as 'half-blood', since I'm pretty sure most people don't get that like we do."

Thalia giggled. "I can already imagine the PR disaster that would come from that." She looked up at Percy, and he found himself staring into her electric blue eyes.

"Do you… want to start over?" she tentatively asked, some of the humor falling from her expression.

A moment passed.

"Yes," Percy breathed out quietly.

Thalia nodded. She extended her hand.

"My name is Thalia Grace."

Percy took it, smiling as he did so. The pond sparkled brilliantly beside them, reflecting rays of light around them in a beautiful halo.

"I'm Percy."

* * *

 _ **Fin**_

* * *

 **A/N:** And… it's complete.

Wow.

I can't believe it's finished.

First thing to do is to thank all of you for sticking with me as I've written this story. It's been a journey for me, and I hope that's been an enjoyable one for you all as well. I never imagined that when I wrote this, it would become like this – I set out to write a 1,500 word one-shot, and now it's a 135,000 word story with an average of 4,500 words per chapter. That wouldn't have been possible without all of you supporting me along the way.

I have been asked a few times whether or not there's going to be a sequel. I will say now that I do not have plans for a sequel, and the ending of the story is, in my opinion, pretty complete. It's worth noting that this is the ending I've had in mind since the beginning, so even though the journey getting here has been an interesting one (with many unexpected twists and turns), I'm glad that it still (mostly) worked out to what I originally intended. I may one day write a one-shot or two to cover some of what happened between Part I and Part II of the finales – chapters 27 and 28, respectively – but right now, I think I like where the story is. Of course, I will go back to do make some edits where needed from time to time, but overall, it's finished.

I will say, as some advertising for my other story, that while I will likely be taking a break for a few months (this entire semester, most likely), I will be continuing my Harry Potter story, "More Than A Memory". If anyone's interested, the first four chapters of it are already up, and more are likely to come.

For now, I'll just say thank you one last time. Leave a review about what you thought if you want to. Otherwise, I just hope you liked it!

See you all around.


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